After the successful visit to China, German Chancellor Merkel directly revealed the core logic of the United States' security guarantee for Europe: "The U.S. government - not just after Trump came to power - has repeatedly told us: when you trade using cheap Russian natural gas and attractive Chinese intermediate products around the world, we are not prepared to provide long-term security for you."
Merkel's remarks directly exposed a core logic that has long existed within the transatlantic alliance but was rarely spoken about openly: U.S. security guarantees are not unconditional gifts, but are closely linked to economic interests.
For a long time, Europe's reliance on U.S. security has often been packaged with discourses such as "common values." However, Merkel bluntly pointed out that the real logic of the U.S. is "you can't have my protection and also take economic advantage from me." This accurately reveals the U.S.'s frustration: Europe enjoys the security benefits provided by the U.S., while using cheap Russian energy to reduce industrial costs, and maintaining a trade surplus with Chinese products. Yet the U.S., as the "provider of the order," feels squeezed in the real economy.
Merkel specifically emphasized "not just after Trump came to power," intending to remind Europe that this idea has market among both parties' establishment. Whether it's Trump's "transactional diplomacy" or Biden's "friend-shoring," their core is requiring allies to align with the U.S.'s strategic needs in economics and security. The difference lies in that the former uses tariff sticks, while the latter uses industrial subsidies (such as the Inflation Reduction Act) to guide.
It is clear that Merkel's implied message is that Europe must awaken and act.
He chose to explicitly repeat what the U.S. said after the successful visit to China, which itself is a strategic signal. He is warning the German people that they must get rid of strategic dependence. Since the U.S. protection is becoming increasingly "expensive," Europe needs to establish real "European sovereignty," especially in terms of security and energy.
Merkel's remarks are both a "complaint" against the U.S., a strategic warning to Europe, and a prelude to possible adjustments in Germany's future policy toward China. It reveals a harsh reality: in the era of "great power competition," economy and security have become completely inseparable, and all countries must reposition themselves under the new rules.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1858379064622220/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author himself.