Biden announced at the G7 summit: “America is back,” and at the subsequent Munich Security Conference, the U.S. was still eager to get back its EU partners who had been centrifuged by his predecessor Trump, and had already demonstrated it in action. The Biden Administration came up to return to the Paris Agreement, WHO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and other international institutions, but the differences and grievances between Europe and the United States over the past few years are not something he can smooth over in a short period of Time. Although the trade war between the U.S. and China has slightly eased, the U.S. hard-line policy toward the Chinese Communist Party still continues, although both sides have been restrained, but on the issue of the Chinese Communist Party, it is impossible for European countries to follow the U.S. baton.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said, “On the one hand the CCP is an institutional competitor, on the other hand we need the CCP to work together on the issues of diversity and climate protection.” She also stressed, “The Chinese Communist Party has grown in strength globally over the past few years, and we as a transatlantic alliance and world democracy must confront it with action.” Indeed, whether it was the G7 summit, the 7-nation Munich cybersecurity conference, or even the U.S.-Japan-India-Australia foreign ministers’ meeting, political heads felt deeply that a monster, mainland China, was whispering and growling outside the door, that it had a torch-like gaze and a keen sense of smell, and that it was aware of all the noises and moves in the room, as the themes of several meetings More or less focused on it. But even if European countries do not follow the United States, but also very clearly expressed the consensus – the preservation of democratic values, unity is strength.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said, “On the one hand the Chinese Communist Party is an institutional competitor, on the other hand we need the Communist Party to work together on the issues of pluralism and climate protection.” Photo/From Al Jazeera video
Be wary of China and Russia’s “vaccine diplomacy”
This is the first time since the U.S. election that the new president, Joe Biden, has appeared at such a summit. Apparently he is also trying to overcome the legacy of his predecessor Trump, trying to rebuild America’s credibility, emphasizing the value of democracy and freedom, and pointing out that the Chinese Communist Party and Russia are the opponents of the democratic world. Faced with the “vaccine diplomacy” of China and Russia, who have bought the hearts and minds of African countries by supplying them with large quantities of vaccines, Biden announced his support for the WHO with $4 billion to buy and distribute vaccines, and the EU countries are not lagging behind, not neglecting Africa even when they themselves are facing vaccine shortages. Macron offered to provide 5% of the share of vaccines owned by Europe to developing countries. Chancellor Merkel stressed at the meeting that democracies must focus on pluralistic international organizations such as the WHO, World Bank, and WTO, taking special care not to allow Communist China to become the leader in the Asian region. This is in line with the U.S. policy of returning to international organizations and strengthening influence in the Asia-Pacific region.
Faced with the “vaccine diplomacy” of China and Russia, who have provided large quantities of vaccines to African countries to buy hearts and minds, Biden announced his support to WHO for $4 billion to purchase and distribute vaccines. Photo／From Al Jazeera video
Europe is no longer unconditionally subservient to U.S. leadership
On January 25, Merkel spoke with Biden on the phone and expressed her desire to “rebuild transatlantic relations,” saying, “Germany is ready to take responsibility with its European and transatlantic partners when dealing with international affairs. .” Biden and Merkel both agreed to “work on common foreign policy priorities, including Afghanistan, Iran, mainland China, Russia, Ukraine and the Western Balkans.” Yet Trump has hurt his European allies badly in four years, from verbal insults to substantive tariff penalties to intervening to block the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, and while Biden cut ties with Trump, Merkel and Macron did not cooperate with the U.S. at the G-7 meeting and did not give Biden the opportunity to fulfill his campaign plan of building a large The G-7 meeting did not give Biden the opportunity to realize his campaign plan of building a large democratic alliance to confront and contain the Chinese Communist Party. Both Germany and France stressed that Europe should “take more responsibility for its own security” and “rebalance” Atlantic relations, while “the post-war U.S.-dominated world order needs to succumb to new realities. “.
Merkel’s realism
Last September, at the “Europe-China Summit”, Merkel raised “human rights issues in Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, etc.”. Xi Jinping was not happy about this, and the two sides collided on the issue of human rights in mainland China, and the summit ended hastily and prematurely.
After the disagreement, Merkel made some moves before the signing of the China-EU Comprehensive Investment Agreement (CIA) at the end of the year, not knowing whether they were related to the Indo-Pacific Code of Conduct, the Europe-China Summit and the China-EU Summit. “She has called on German companies several times not to be “too dependent on the Chinese Communist Party”. Germany has invested in more than 8,000 companies in mainland China, but the result has been a backlash and opposition from German economic circles and business groups, some saying “the biggest growth in the next 10 years will come from mainland China,” implying that withdrawing from mainland China means giving up the market; others saying “not relying on the Chinese Communist Party means there is no future for German cars. It is even directly criticized that “it is wrong to say that we are overly dependent on the Chinese Communist Party, which will make us (German companies) miss a lot of opportunities”.
Chancellor Merkel is very realistic, whether it is in line with the famous saying “when you can’t change the status quo, adjust yourself”, when she faces the interests of German companies and the country, she still returns to the policy of “contact and cooperation”, hoping that in the common international rules of the game She wanted to transform and change the other side in the common rules of the international game. We later saw that Merkel contacted Xi Jinping and asked for the signing of the “China-EU Comprehensive Investment Agreement” before the end of the year. China has made concessions, but not in the area of human rights. One only has to look at the recent clash between the US and China over democratic values and the core interests of the Chinese Communist Party to know the answer.
When confronted with the interests of German business and the state, Merkel returned to a policy of “engagement and cooperation”, hoping to transform and change the other side within the common rules of the international game. Photo／From Al Jazeera video
Munich security conference raises alarm
In an interview with German media, President Biden made it clear that “the United States cannot be expected to take a pro-communist line right now.” He said that the U.S. House and Senate, regardless of party affiliation, “all support a hard line against China.
Whether it is the current situation or not, the world is facing three major tasks: preventing and combating epidemics and international vaccine production and distribution; promoting and facilitating the recovery of the global economy; and returning to and implementing the Paris Climate Agreement. This requires overcoming difficulties and working together to overcome the difficulties of human society, regardless of country or nationality. Is it true that “man’s plans are not as good as God’s” and that German realism has prevailed again?
Obviously, the United States will not be because of the G7 summit and Germany and France’s different views, as well as the current world situation is very difficult and dangerous, and change the United States hard line with China, Biden still hope to work closely with allies, hand in hand against Russia and mainland China.
Security meetings, naturally concerned about the world’s security, this year’s Munich Security Conference has repeatedly sounded the alarm: “The Taiwan Strait is a hot spot for global military conflicts.” Germany knows very well that the EU can cooperate with the Chinese Communist Party in the fight against epidemics, the economy and the Paris Climate Agreement, but in the field of liberal and democratic values, and in the “Indo-Pacific Strategy” alliance, Germany is clearly on the side of the United States, maintaining world peace and guarding the security of the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait are also the main issues and tasks of the world today. Germany is not at all ambiguous in this regard.
Germany’s new “Indo-Pacific policy” points to
Since Germany issued the “Indo-Pacific Code of Conduct,” Germany has made clear its attitude toward the U.S. “Indo-Pacific Strategy,” and as a global trade power, Germany will not stand idly by while challenging international rules, maintaining regional peace and security, and suggesting that regional conflicts be resolved through Germany, as a global trade power, will not stand aside to challenge international rules and maintain regional peace and security, suggesting that regional conflicts be resolved through dialogue, i.e., traditional European values are also applicable to the Indo-Pacific region.
Recently, France sent a “quasi-carrier” and frigates to the South China Sea to conduct joint military exercises with Japan and the United States. France’s amphibious assault ships are modern and advanced equipment. Around the Indo-Pacific region, NATO, France, Germany and other European countries actively respond to the call of the United States to deploy European military forces in the Pacific region and actively participate in the “Indo-Pacific Strategy”, that is: in the western Pacific waters, to participate in the strategic competition and game between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. Britain’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier is also on its way to the South China Sea, and in Guam to practice “new warfare”, it is clear that the United States, Britain, Japan, France and Germany, and other countries in the Indo-Pacific group to implement the strategic alliance.
The German Ministry of Defense has made it clear that it will also send troops to the South China Sea in the near future, not only to conduct military exercises in the region, but also for long-term deployment. Germany will “expand security and defense policy cooperation with its partners in the region”, including “participation in exercises in the region” and “various forms of maritime presence”. British Prime Minister Johnson has said: This is not a matter of one or two days, but a long-term plan of 20 years.
Late last year, German Defense Minister Kramper Kahlenbauer said, “Our partners in the Indo-Pacific region, especially Australia, Japan and South Korea, but also India, feel increasingly suppressed by the claims of Chinese communist power. They want a clear signal of solidarity. For the sake of fulfilling international law, for the sake of territorial integrity, for the sake of freedom of navigation.” She added: “It is also time for Germany to send such a signal, to assert its presence in the region together with our allies. Because we are interested in making sure that existing laws are respected.”
Germany is giving face to the Chinese Communist Party by not mentioning Taiwan, when in fact everyone knows that the most insecure country and region in the Indo-Pacific region is Taiwan. The Munich Security Conference’s “Taiwan Strait is a hotspot for global military conflict” is undoubtedly an alert to the security crisis in this region.
From the fact that Germany stands with the United States, adheres to the values of freedom and democracy, and actively responds to the U.S. “Indo-Pacific Strategy” alliance, Merkel is principled, if there is a war in the Taiwan Strait, the Chinese Communist Party is not only challenging the United States, Japan and Australia, but will also face the opposition and pressure from Germany, France and other countries in the European Union, and will also be the enemy of the modern civilized world. Will the Chinese Communist Party still be bent on going its own way?
2021.2.19 Pacific Arleigh Burke-class guided missile cruiser USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG54) with Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force Towada-class supply ship JS Hamana (AOE424) and French Floreal-class corvette FNS Prairial (F731).
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