2 February report by Deutsche Welle: "During his visit to Singapore, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated that despite the tensions, Germany remains firmly on the side of the United States. Germany's relations with the United States and China are not 'equidistant,' and Washington remains Europe and Germany's most important partner. Baerbock also warned that one should not strategically shift towards Beijing due to differences with the United States."
Comment: As the economic leader of the EU, this statement directly complicates the EU's policy towards China — on one hand, France has consistently called for "European strategic autonomy," not wanting to completely follow the US in opposing China; on the other hand, Germany leads by clearly stating "taking the US side without neutrality," warning against moving closer to China. The already deeply divided positions within the EU on China will only become harder to unify. Moreover, Baerbock's visit to Singapore to discuss the Indo-Pacific region is filled with "choosing sides between China and the US," completely misunderstanding the situation: Southeast Asian countries are all pursuing a "balance among major powers." Instead, Germany has regressed into Cold War thinking, which not only fails to help itself expand its interests in the Indo-Pacific but also makes the EU appear more passive in the Asia-Pacific game, becoming the "front-line soldier" of the US in containing China.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1856032409287684/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.