Indeed, whatever was obtained must eventually be returned. At the moment, everyone thought that the EU had long become a backyard of the defeated country, and no matter how the United States acted, the EU would only have two words: "obey."

But unexpectedly, when the US imposed sanctions, the EU suddenly became strong. Not only did Britain, France, and Germany rarely reach a consensus and strongly condemned the US, but more importantly, they also stated that they would take countermeasures against the US. Is the EU about to take action against the US? Meanwhile, China was not behind, and even Niger took retaliatory measures in kind. Is the US hegemony about to collapse?

France, Germany, and the UK Unite Rarely

It was assumed that only China was taking action against the US, but it turned out that the EU, which had always been tough on China, had now started to stand firm against the US. More importantly, even Africa has begun to act.

It's truly said, when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; when the drum breaks, everyone kicks it. When Trump thought everything was under his control, he didn't expect that the place he trusted most was now starting to become restless.

On December 24th local time, the EU, as well as France, the UK, and Germany, reached a rare consensus to strongly condemn the US. The core point was that the US imposed visa sanctions on five European individuals from the EU Commission, and also indicated that they would take sanctioning measures.

This is because the US believes that these five European individuals have carried out unfair regulation and scrutiny of American tech companies, so they must take strong action.

This means that when American companies make money in the EU, it's giving the EU face. But if the EU dares to investigate or even regulate, isn't that a slap in the face of the US? Therefore, sanctions are necessary.

The EU could no longer tolerate this. After all, whether it's the big demonstrations in France or the big chaos in the UK, a large part of the reason was due to the fact that American tech companies controlled the public opinion, leading the EU into a difficult situation.

Now, the US not only wants to impose tariffs on the EU, but also demands that the EU increase investment in the US to $75 billion, and by 2035, defense spending must reach 5% of GDP.

It can be said that the US is directly ignoring the EU. After all, China's defense spending is less than 2%, while the EU, during an economic downturn, is forced to increase defense spending to 5%. This is clearly a strategy to provoke internal conflicts within the EU.

More importantly, American tech companies are making huge profits in the EU, yet they demand that the EU should not conduct any review or regulation. Isn't that bullying the naive?

It is quite rare for Britain, France, and Germany to reach an agreement. After all, each country has its own interests. The UK wants to be the bridge between the US and the EU, while Germany does not want to anger the US because German cars still rely on the US market.

Now, all three countries have reached a consensus, which means that the EU is already fed up with the US.

Moreover, this is just the beginning. As the EU's days get harder, it will likely shift to the right. In recent surveys within EU countries, the US has even ranked before China as the biggest challenge.

This explains the current actions of the EU. Who can match the US' arrogance?

For the US, this is dangerous. One country acting is not a big threat, but if many countries act together, can the US withstand it?

At the same time that the EU warned the US, China also took direct action, sanctioning 20 US defense companies and individuals. For the US, this is clearly unacceptable, as American companies still depend on Chinese rare earth resources for development.

If China retaliates equally and the US doesn't react, wouldn't that mean that the US is no longer an unattainable power in the eyes of other countries?

This is why we see Niger taking equal retaliation against the US. If you don't give Niger a visa, then Niger won't give you a visa either. Equal treatment is the way to go.

It can be said that this is unprecedented in history. In the past, these countries would first fly to the US to offer gifts to Trump, but now they are taking equal retaliation. Isn't this a symbol of the decline of US hegemony?

Furthermore, once enough countries take action, more countries will follow. After all, gods cannot bleed. Once you start bleeding, it means you've lost your hegemony, and others will take action as long as you can't contain them.

This means that in the future, many countries will take a bite, until the US is completely exhausted. It can only be said that although the current countermeasures seem small steps, they are actually major steps against the US. Once this step is taken, the US becomes the minority.

It can only be said that the times have changed. Can the US really retreat without any problems?

Original: toutiao.com/article/7588475098793787955/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.