June 12, 2019
If Trump Wants to Take On China, He Needs Allies
And he should start with Europe.
With the prospect of a trade deal between China and the United States all but dead, the Trump administration is no doubt weighing its next steps in its quest to rein in Beijing’s rise. President Trump should try something he hasn’t yet: call Europe.
Just five years ago, such a suggestion would have raised eyebrows. Europe’s relationship with China has traditionally been one of close economic cooperation, especially for an export-led country like Germany. To the extent that Europeans saw political and security challenges in working with China, they kept faith that growing economic ties with the West would temper the country’s worst instincts.
Over the last few years, though, Germany, along with several other European countries, have experienced a strategic awakening. German policymakers, along with industry leaders, have become much more vocal about China’s predatory trade practices, in particular forced technology transfers. They have begun to refer to China as a “systemic competitor.” So has the European Union.
Read the full article in The New York Times.
More from CNAS
-
NATO Public Forum: The Axis of Upheaval
During the NATO Public Forum, CNAS hosted a panel discussion that featured David Shullman, senior director of Global China Hub for the Atlantic Council, Benedetta Berti, head ...
By David Shullman
-
A Discussion of European Leadership
Leadership dynamics in Europe are at a critical juncture. Following the recent European Parliament elections, both French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf ...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend, Steven Erlanger & Sophie Pedder
-
Sharper: NATO 75
From July 9–11, NATO leaders from across the Atlantic will gather in Washington, DC for the 2024 NATO Summit, which marks the 75th anniversary of the alliance. This meeting wi...
By Anna Pederson, Anna Avanesyan & Charles Horn
-
NATO’s Security Guarantees for Ukraine
As NATO prepares for its annual summit in Vilnius this July, one of the biggest topics on the agenda will be how to guarantee long-term security for Ukraine. Given that member...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend, Liana Fix & Eric Ciaramella