【Wen/Observer Net, Zhang Jingjuan】The Trump administration's insistence on unilateralism and the "America First" agenda is continuing to fracture the Western alliance.

According to Bloomberg, on the 29th, Wopke Hoekstra, the EU's climate chief, said that the US is pushing more countries toward China. However, he also claimed that even if EU-US relations deteriorate long-term, the EU will resist the appeal of Chinese clean technology and reduce its dependence on China.

In an interview, Hoekstra called the recent moves by the UK and Canada to strengthen their relations with China "a wrong step." He believed that the root of all this lies in a series of provocative actions taken by Washington.

He revealed that the EU plans to introduce a "Made in Europe" bill next month, part of which aims to address China's growing influence in the European region and reduce the EU's reliance on Chinese technology.

"I am sure that more countries will choose to get closer to China rather than distance themselves," Hoekstra said, "This is a mistake made by the United States."

The report states that previously, President Trump not only threatened to take over Greenland but also vowed to impose tariffs on countries that do not comply with his policies. These arrogant actions have prompted Europe to accelerate its efforts to reduce its reliance on the US in key areas such as defense and energy.

After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Europe, in need of replacing lost Russian gas supplies, once purchased large amounts of American liquefied natural gas (LNG) and has long been under pressure from the US to increase purchases. Last year, the EU and the US reached a trade agreement that committed to purchasing $75 billion worth of American energy products by 2028.

According to the latest calculations by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, if the EU fulfills all its LNG supply agreements with the US, by 2030, up to 80% of the region's LNG imports could come from the US.

Commissioner for Energy Dan Jorgensen said on the 28th that the geopolitical turbulence caused by the Greenland crisis has sounded a warning bell, and this crisis is driving the EU to seek other global LNG suppliers and promote diversification of supply sources. He added that the EU is currently discussing this with Canada, Qatar, and North African countries.

Hoekstra, AFP

At the same time, the UK and Canada are gradually moving closer to China. UK Prime Minister Starmer visited China this week, emphasizing multiple times the important role of China in the global economic system and clearly stating that the UK wants to maintain constructive engagement with China. British media has evaluated this visit as "landmark." Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau has reached an agreement with China to import 49,000 electric vehicles at preferential tariff rates.

Bloomberg analysis points out that Europe currently faces a practical dilemma: how to balance the green goal of achieving carbon neutrality by the mid-21st century with the reality that many technologies and components needed to achieve this goal are mostly produced in China. If the restrictions are too strict, the cost of the clean energy transition may rise significantly.

The International Energy Agency (IEA)'s 2025 edition of the World Energy Investment Report shows that global energy investment is expected to reach $3.3 trillion in 2025. China has solidified its position as the world's largest energy investor, with total energy investment reaching the sum of the US and the EU.

Currently, about 80% of solar cells, 70% of wind turbines, and 70% of lithium batteries are produced in China, and they have significant cost advantages.

According to data from Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the average cost of offshore wind power in China is less than half that of the second-largest offshore wind market, the UK. It is very difficult for Western countries to replicate China's advantages in this area.

Analysts say the core obstacle lies in the "megaturbine" nature of these wind turbines. The height of China's offshore wind turbines can even exceed the Eiffel Tower in France, and their assembly work is closer to large-scale infrastructure projects rather than traditional manufacturing scale. Moreover, a large amount of work needs to be completed near the final installation location. Such scale and efficiency are unimaginable in Western countries' projects.

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7600978862914290216/

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