[By Guancha Observer Network, Ruan Jiaqi]

Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the West has been incessantly smearing China and Russia's normal economic and trade cooperation, hyping up rumors about "China's military aid to Russia." China has repeatedly made solemn denials on this issue.

On June 6 local time, Bloomberg News cited multiple US and European officials as saying that after taking office, Trump did not promote similar hype to accuse China but focused his efforts on other issues in Sino-US relations.

The report stated that Trump also insisted during a discussion about the leaders' phone call that both sides "did not discuss any topics related to Russia or Ukraine." The White House spokesperson did not respond to the request for comment.

The aforementioned officials revealed that the US government will focus on bilateral relations with China while further reducing the priority of the Ukraine conflict in American foreign policy. Some people also said that Trump could change his stance at any time.

A source familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News that this policy shift was due to the Trump team wanting to distance itself from a key diplomatic pillar of its predecessor Biden, which was to view US relations with all countries through the lens of the Ukrainian war.

The source also mentioned that given tariffs, technology restrictions, and rare earth elements are major issues between China and the US, the Trump team hopes to use negotiation advantages to engage Beijing in talks on issues more important to US national interests than the Ukraine issue.

Bloomberg News mentioned that at the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Canada in March, the joint statement issued afterward continued to hype up so-called Chinese military threats, expressing deep concerns about China's military buildup and repeating baseless accusations, "condemning China for providing weapons and dual-use components to Russia."

This argument is likely to be mentioned again at the G7 Leaders' Summit to be held in Alberta, Canada this month, but it remains unclear whether any leader will urge the Trump administration to commit to reaching an agreement on the China-related statements at the summit.

The report pointed out that if the Trump administration did not maintain this consistent approach, it would mark a shift in the long-standing positions of the United States and the G7, and the delusion of pressuring China to use its influence to bring Russia to the negotiating table would fade away.

Local time on March 14, group photo session of G7 Foreign Ministers. Video screenshot

In addition, the report mentioned that Lindsey Graham, an intimate ally of Trump and Republican Senator of South Carolina, recently claimed that he plans to push for new sanctions against Russia before the G7 Summit.

According to reports, Graham is pushing for a Senate bill with over 80 co-sponsors aimed at preventing China and India from purchasing cheap oil from Russia to restrict Russia from obtaining more funds and using them for military actions.

Insiders added that US officials also criticized their European counterparts for continuing to purchase energy from Russia while smearing "China's military aid to Russia."

Regarding the EU, it has been tirelessly hyping up this topic and creating trouble during Sino-European bilateral contacts. The media mentioned that at the Shangri-La Dialogue held last week in Singapore, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Karas, repeated the cliché of "Beijing fueling Russia's war by exporting dual-use materials."

Notably, when delivering a speech at the same forum, US Defense Secretary Hackett provocatively stated that Europe should focus on its own security so that Washington can pay attention to the Indo-Pacific region.

Karas disagreed with this argument. She said, "What we do more is a good thing, but I want to emphasize that European security is closely linked to Pacific security." She called out to the US side, "If you worry about China, you should worry about Russia."

Karas told the Singapore Straits Times that after Hackett's speech, she had already explained the EU's position to him.

She added, "Majors may think they don't need anyone else, but everyone needs them. But I believe that in this era, everyone needs each other, and we need to work together. Majors are no exception."

In response to the US criticism of insufficient defense spending in Europe, Karas made a shocking reply. She portrayed the US urging as a "tough love" for Europe, showing a fawning demeanor.

Karas emphasized that the relationship between Brussels and Washington has not broken down. She said, "Anyway, it's love, so it's better than no love."

"You heard his (Hackett's) speech, and his attitude toward Europe is actually quite positive, so this is obviously done with 'love,'" she added.

This article is an exclusive piece by the Guancha Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original link: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7513020261625594394/

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