The Perils Of A European Pivot To China

Exchanging One Dominant Force For Another Wont Provide Security Or Stop European Decline

HI All,

As you know, I’ve been about as robust a critic of Donald Trump’s America as anyone and at the same time I’ve been calling for European states to move away from their dependence on the USA for security and defense—to start thinking for themselves and develop a truly European strategic infrastructure. The whole point of this is for European states to be able to defend what Europe has come to stand for since 1945, to be able to resist attempts to subvert its freedoms (very much still under threat as the Romanian elections Sunday tell us), and to make sure that liberal, democratic values come out of this dark period we are in globally.

Its why the discussion about whether Europe should pivot and get closer to China is rather worrying. There are certainly signs that this is being considered. The Chinese are reaching out to European states and the EU to, in the words of one report “drive a wedge between Europe and the US.” And these efforts if anything, seem to be picking up steam. Its telling that this week it was announced that the Chinese government, to improve relations with Europe, is lifting sanctions that it has placed on European lawmakers who have criticized China’s human rights policies.

Exchanging a close relationship with a more authoritarian USA for one with a dictatorial China is dangerous. European states need to think and act more independently.