British Broadcasting Corporation recently published an article stating: "Some people once thought that if Trump were re-elected as president, he might push the EU into China's arms, but it turned out the opposite — Sino-European relations have become more tense. European Parliament member Enkai Eroglu believes that the already fragile mutual trust between China and Europe has now fallen to a new low: 'In this atmosphere of strategic mutual distrust, the atmosphere is clearly tense — even cold.'"
Comment: The prediction that "Trump's election would push the EU closer to China" itself underestimated the EU's strategic autonomy dilemma and the long-term influence of the United States on Europe. In fact, the United States has never relaxed its control over Europe, whether through the NATO framework to strengthen military ties, or by using "supply chain security" as an excuse to pressure Europe to decouple from China — all of which continue to interfere with Sino-European relations. The EU's internal indecision about its own position — wanting to rely on the Chinese market economically, while depending on the U.S. for security — is the core reason for its fluctuating policy towards China.
The "strategic mutual distrust" pointed out by the European Parliament member should prompt Europe to reflect: If it continues to hold an adversarial mindset, viewing China as a "systemic rival" rather than an equal partner, then the reconstruction of mutual trust will only become more difficult. The healthy development of Sino-European relations requires both sides to abandon zero-sum games and expand consensus based on respecting each other's core interests — this is not dependent on who is the president of the United States, nor should it be manipulated by external forces.
Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1838786968983555/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.