Did China's Xi Jinping expose disunity in Europe?
The Chinese president's visit to Europe yielded little breakthrough on issues like trade and Ukraine. But it did show that Beijing prefers to work one-on-one to avoid collective opposition to its interests.
Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded a high-profile European tour on Friday amid concerns in Europe over Chinese support for Russia's war in Ukraine and European markets being flooded with cheap Chinese electric vehicles.
Xi's first visit to the region since 2019 also comes amid growing suspicions that China is seeking to take advantage of divisions in Europe. And analysts pointed out that Xi's itinerary was no coincidence.
Bertram Lang, a research associate at Goethe University in Frankfurt who specializes in China's foreign policy, said that the countries on Xi's tour — France, Serbia and Hungary — all have "special bilateral relationships" with Beijing.
Lang added that the Chinese leadership has gradually divided Europe into two groups, "those friendly and unfriendly to China." And this trip aimed to emphasize relationships with the former.
And has worked tirelessly to create it, yes. Europeans have looked at the chaos in the US with a sense that it represents some kind of moral failing specific to Americans, but the reality is they themselves have been part of the same decades long social engineering campaign by Russia and China.
The only difference is the goals have been slightly different for each target and the type of trolling and propaganda exploits slightly different social and cultural weaknesses. But ultimately the goal has always been to drive a wedge between the US and Europe, and weaken both.
100%. Its a classic divide & conquer strategy, albeit that the technology has changed over the centuries, and the methodology (hybrid) has become more finetuned. I mean, objectivelly and strategically it's how the world has been working forever: " in war and love there are no rules", it is said.
On the otherhand, how the world has been working forever, is exactly the whole issue. Speaking for European (or worldcitizens) we really hate wars and catastrophic results, so we'd like to move away from the old world, towards a more balanced world with more equal partnership; ideally.
It's impossible to move to that point, when your supposed partners apperantly don't have the same wish ( Ruzz Mir for example, isn't peace). At the end of the day I perceive this as a clash between systems, democracies & authoracies.And, even this comparance may be too simplified. I hope and trust, we can find a proportionate and adequate response to these negative developments and actions.
Also it should be a joint responsibility between all the citizens from the whole world ( if your country is fucking up, try to do something if possible, stay safe ofc). Instead, as it appears now, we have just some head of states deciding everything for billions.
Kinda of like a modernised slogan from yesteryear," citizens over the World Unite; against idiotic head of states! " thing. Wouldn't that be something . Cheesy John Lenon shit. Yet maybe he's right; because here we are in this mess.
It often feels like we're all reformed drunks, knowing perfectly well what would happen when you touch the booze again and fists start flying and trying their hardest to keep it from happening. And now some neighbors is having loud parties and leaving bottles everywhere.
I don't know, does he realise how weak this visit made him look? It just looks like he's scared to me.
Visiting a couple of 2nd or 3rd tier nations gives the appearance of someone not trying to get anything done, just bask in paid for glory from people too small to matter.
(Yes I'm from the UK and this entire comment is a dig at France. Come at me)
Weird comment from a non-league country
Dammit. Owned :(
France is one of the pillars the EU is built upon. Calling it a 2nd tier nation just makes no sense at all.
Yeah ok, I need to explain my thinking a bit.
Visiting France only, then two client states, drags France down to the level of client state. Not the nation itself of course but it makes the visit look uninportant.
Why not Germany? Why visit the EU and only one of France and germany? Sure France is important but the way this has been done by China doesn't give the appearance of a country seriously engaging with the global stage. It looks like they popped into France on the way to some friends. Or deliberately chose one of France and Germany to try and stir something.
Overall not a serious visit showing "disunity in Europe" but a poor attempt at stirring trouble and revealing how little china cares about anyone it can't just buy and bully into obedience.
It's in the article: The expert said that the visited nations have special bilateral relations with the PRC. Germany doesn't like china.
Remember, China has no allies... So why is Europe afraid of China?
Anyway, China is a true sovereign country that looks out for its own interest. China is not going to fall for the mob tactics of the EU and NATO. China number 1 priority, making China great. Is having 1.3 billion Chinese workers an unfair advantage, what would be the EU and US solution to that?