German Foreign Minister: Despite recent tensions, Germany is closer to the United States than to China
According to Reuters, German Foreign Minister Baerbock said on Monday in Singapore that Germany is "not equidistant" between the United States and China, and despite recent tensions, Germany has always been more closely aligned with Washington.
Baerbock said during a lecture organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies that the United States remains Europe's and Germany's most important partner, and Europe's security still depends on the United States, although there are some issues that have "distanced" the relationship between Washington and the European region.
The report pointed out that officials from the Trump administration have long criticized European countries for not meeting NATO spending targets and being too dependent on the United States for their own defense.
When talking about China, Baerbock said, "Opening our arms to China and saying all our problems will disappear at this moment, and we will only move towards becoming your important partner, that would be the wrong answer."
At the same time, Western countries such as Canada and the UK have reached trade agreements with China, despite U.S. criticism.
The report said that Trump has insisted that Washington should take over Greenland, which has undermined transatlantic relations and accelerated Europe's efforts to reduce its dependence on the United States, although Trump recently withdrew the threat of additional tariffs and ruled out the possibility of seizing Greenland by force.
Baerbock pointed out that the united response of Europe to the U.S. claim on Greenland shows that it is possible to successfully defend one's own interests as long as clear boundaries are defined.
Baerbock also said that in an era of increasing protectionism and fragmentation, the EU's network of free trade agreements is an "important cornerstone of rule-based trade."
He said the EU is striving to "quickly conclude" more free trade agreements with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Australia.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1856061651914762/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.