After being sanctioned by the US, former EU officials have had many member states clash with the US. On December 25, Rubio told the media: "The US will continue to tighten its visa policy and impose a visa ban on foreign officials and individuals who are found to be involved in reviewing American citizens. It will not show leniency towards those who harm US foreign policy, even if they come from allies. The US will not retreat from arbitrary attacks, which will only make the situation worse!"
[Cunning] Rubio's remarks about not disturbing allies reenact the hegemonic script of the US-EU steel war in the last century. A fine of 1.2 billion euros imposed by the EU is just a normal operation of digital regulation, but the US uses visas as a tool for sanctions, even targeting former officials of its allies. This is comparable to the resurrection of McCarthyism. Have they forgotten the EU's list of hundreds of billions of euros for countermeasures? Have they forgotten the 26 billion euros in tariffs that once made US companies wail? While claiming to oppose censorship, the US uses visa bans to suppress dissent. This double standard is more ridiculous than the unilateral pressure during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The so-called "no leniency" is simply because the EU's digital sovereignty threatens the interests of US tech giants. Allies become enemies, all because hegemony cannot tolerate equality. This transatlantic farce will eventually backfire.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1852452562481219/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.