EU must formulate a unified policy to deal with China
ON 28 April 2021, US President Joe Biden during his first address as President to a joint session of Congress categorically called China “the major concern” to the US economy.
In September 2021, the world emergence of Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States (AUKUS) alliance threaten Chinese trade routes in the Asia Pacific. Now the US is targeting Chinese core interests including the issue of Taiwan.
Although the US is trying to hit the Chinese economy as well in Europe China is not an easy game and it takes firm standing over the non-violent competition, avoiding the US trap for making China aggressive or erratic.
China is not the (former) Soviet Union whose economy had been trembling decades before it physically collapsed into pieces. The Soviet Union fought through Covert Dark style diplomacy but China is a different sea to sail.
Russian-taught manipulating techniques do not seem to work here for the United States. To corner China, the US needs economic hegemony and it appears a far idea by keeping current circumstances.
International Affairs experts believe that US’s meddling with Chinese interests after its historic defeat in Afghanistan is understandable but European Union (EU) wants a middle way to China and US should keep trying to manage a balance for securing the economic gains China is offering to Europe.
There is no doubt that inside EU Eastern and Baltic countries, there are soft US targets having vulnerable economies. The current Lithuania-China conflict is a clear example of this idea. US idea of targeting China through its funded allies is justifiable.
But the point remains the same will it be possible to provoke China and provoke enough so China starts thinking in military terms because the economy is not a problem of China anymore? Banning a few companies in Lithuania or any such country is not even creating a ripple.
EU already suffering from the aftermath of vigilante wars in the Middle East and Afghanistan, any madness for more powerful and greater among all can lead the EU to another dark tunnel.
Neither EU got any benefit from the “War on Terror” nor EU will get any positive outcome out of “War against China”.
Sanity suggests that the EU must formulate a unified policy to deal with China for economic gains because China wants to integrate with European economies through several initiatives like the 1+16 having Albania, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia together for a better future.
1+16 was actually 1+17 before Lithuania decided to leave and announced the opening of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania.
US moral and diplomatic support can keep the matter afloat but nothing comes for free.
China has never compromised on the “One China” Policy and putting European countries at the forefront by encouraging them to open Taiwanese Representative Offices is a serious US attempt to ruin the EU-China relationship.
China offers integration and economic benefits to EU member states while the US always offers adventurism to far lands.
US-backed economies must think that saviour will not stop at just opening de facto embassies, there will be a point when like “saving the humanity” circus, it will be simply impossible to take more and digest more.
Choice lies with the EU what it wishes to opt after the Afghanistan disaster where the US ran away without taking its allies into confidence?
—The writer is an analyst writing for national and international media outlets.
