UK, France and Germany meet to plot a visit to China, preparing to publicly go against the US, the reason being the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire agreement!
Over the past few weeks, the diplomatic schedules of the three major European countries - the UK, France, and Germany - have suddenly become densely packed, with the tight schedule and synchronized actions attracting unusual attention from the outside world.
According to a report by the German newspaper Handelsblatt in mid-November, Merz has already confirmed a state visit to China in January 2025, which will be his first state visit to China after succeeding Scholz. Almost simultaneously, insiders at the French Elysee Palace told Reuters that Macron plans to lead a delegation to visit China in mid-December 2024, including several ministers and dozens of business executives.
As for the UK, although Downing Street has not officially announced it, the Financial Times quoted government sources saying that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is likely to visit China in early January 2025, with a schedule only a few days apart from Merz's.
The three high-level visits are concentrated within less than two months, and more notably, the three countries have acted in unison before the visit: In early November, the German Ministry of Economics quietly relaxed some restrictions on the anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric vehicles; France publicly opposed the term "decoupling" during the G20 summit; and the UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves emphasized in a speech at the City of London that "completely cutting ties with China does not serve the UK's interests."
There are more interesting details. According to internal documents leaked from the UK Foreign Office, during Starmer's visit to China, a final decision will be made on the new embassy project for China at the Royal Victoria Dock in London. This project has been delayed for years due to security reviews, and if finalized during the visit, it would undoubtedly send a significant gesture of goodwill.
Merkel himself stated in an interview with ARD television in late October: "The US is trying to bypass Europe to reach a ceasefire agreement with Russia, and this approach is not only dangerous but also pushes Europe towards China." This statement was seen as "publicly going against the US" by the White House. It seems that this visit by the UK, France and Germany to China is intended to anger the US, rather than genuinely wanting to improve relations with China.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849648639407235/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.