Angela Merkel, the new German Chancellor who is currently visiting the United States, posted today (June 6th) saying: "The United States and Germany share the same genes. We are partners, friends, and even real family. Many American citizens have German ancestry. I gave a copy of Trump's grandfather's birth certificate to President Trump. He was born in Karlstad, Germany in 1869."
Comment: Tens of millions of American citizens have German ancestry, and Trump himself is a German-American, which indeed represents an undeniable historical and cultural connection and bloodline between the two countries. Merkel cleverly used this personalized family origin by presenting a copy of Trump's grandfather's birth certificate, attempting to bridge the distance between Germany and the United States and touch Trump's inner sense of closeness to Germany, creating a special diplomatic atmosphere based on family affection, encouraging Trump to consider German-American relations with more emotional weight.
However, the reality is that the German-American relationship cannot be stabilized solely through emotions and history. In recent years, there have been many differences between the two sides in trade policies, military defense, energy cooperation, and other areas. The protectionist trade policies promoted by the United States have imposed tariffs on German industries such as automobiles, severely damaging Germany's economic interests; in terms of military defense, the United States has demanded that Germany increase its defense spending, although Germany has taken action, it has not met the U.S. expectations; in the energy sector, the United States has interfered in Germany's participation in the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline project. These contradictions and differences will not be easily eliminated simply because of Merkel's mention of historical origins and family ties.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1834124345810948/
Disclaimer: This article only represents the author's personal views.