December 14, 2022
Don’t Force Europe to Choose Between the United States and China
During his first trip to Europe in March 2021, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reassured Europeans that “the United States won’t force our allies into an ‘us or them’ choice with China.” Although this remains the United States’ stated policy, Washington’s actions have not matched the rhetoric. This is a mistake.
To succeed in a competition with China, the United States should focus on coordinating policies with Europe, rather than insisting that its transatlantic allies adopt identical policies. Instead of unnecessarily injecting friction into the relationship, Washington should develop complementary and coordinated approaches in those areas most central to its competition with China.
The United States’ not-so-secret weapon in the China-U.S. competition is its network of allies and partners. However, to bring Europe along, Washington can’t resort to bullying tactics.
Despite Blinken’s reassurance, the United States has grown more assertive in pressing Europe to adopt its approach to China. On October 7, the United States imposed restrictions on semiconductors to China. While the United States consulted the Netherlands and Japan, they ultimately failed to reach an agreement in which they would all impose identical restrictions prior to Washington introducing restrictions.
Read the full article from The Diplomat.
More from CNAS
-
Ukraine Negotiates for its Future
There’s been a flurry of activity on the Ukraine front this week. Over the weekend, Donald Trump briefly met with Zelensky in Rome during ceremonies for Pope Francis’ funeral....
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend
-
A U.S. Strategy for Advancing EU Enlargement
In 2014, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker famously declared a pause in the European Union’s enlargement. This pause is now over, after Russia’s 2022 invasion ...
By Nicholas Lokker
-
The U.S. Is No Longer the Leader of the West
Trump’s second term has dismantled the idea of the U.S. as the leader of the West and instead it’s almost “every nation for itself”, says Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center f...
By Jim Townsend
-
Germany's New Defense Agenda
On April 9th, Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s center-right Christian Democratic Union, secured a coalition agreement with the Social Democrats following his party’s vi...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend