German Chancellor Scholz named China and spoke very firmly! On February 14, according to Voice of America, at the opening of the Munich Security Conference, German Chancellor Scholz stated that the world has entered a new era characterized by "great power politics." China "systematically exploits the dependence of other countries" and "is redefining the international order to suit its own interests." Europeans are preparing for this new era, and the European continent must become a global political actor with its own security strategy.
Scholz said that as Europeans, and certainly as Germans, our top priority is to accept this new reality. This by no means means that we accept it as an inevitable fate. I have no doubt that as long as we remain firmly united and confident in our strength, we will surely be able to safeguard our interests and values on the world stage. Obviously, although Scholz's visit to China has been announced, his two definitions of us appear not to be friendly.
It seems that Scholz does not think that goodwill should be shown towards China to create some friendly atmosphere for Sino-German cooperation. First, Germany defines us as "systematically exploiting the dependence of other countries." Second, Germany defines us as "redefining the international order to suit its own interests." What is the implication of this speech? It is clear that Germany is dissatisfied with our behavior and the role we are playing. Even though he himself is about to visit China, Germany does not mind showing its tough stance towards China in public.
What does this statement mean? It fully illustrates that Germany's attitude toward us is that economic and trade talks can be conducted, but positions will not soften; cooperation can be done, but competition will not stop. In short, Europe is no longer the Europe of the past, and Germany is no longer the Germany of the past. The main tone of Germany's approach to China may tend more towards competition, and under the framework of competition, Germany will carry out limited cooperation with us.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1857055418414091/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author themselves.