NATO Allies Pressured Like Warsaw Pact
Global Times
2019/2/12 20:33:43
Speaking in Hungary, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday cautioned European allies not to use Huawei equipment, saying it would make it more difficult for the US to "partner alongside them." The warning, according to some comments in the US media, is tantamount to a demand that US allies take sides between the US and China. Pompeo also warned Hungary that Russia is seeking to divide the West. He said Russia and China filled a void left by the US shunning Central Europe in the recent past.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto expressed dissatisfaction at a joint news conference with Pompeo. He insisted Budapest can have transparent relations with Moscow, Beijing and the West, saying it was "enormous hypocrisy" that Hungary was singled out for its ties with China and Russia.
The US is lobbying all other NATO countries to boycott Huawei equipment with the obvious intention of making its allies participate in a crackdown on Chinese high-tech companies. Today's Washington has limited interest in NATO's collective defense. Washington has its own private purposes.
Preventing NATO countries approaching China and Russia can serve the US in having a comprehensive competition with China and Russia. Containing Huawei, one of the world's leaders in 5G technology, tops the agenda for Washington and its allies.
If US allies stop using Huawei equipment, no longer purchase energy from Russia, further alienate China and Russia at the demands of Washington while increasing imports from the US and following the US lead in everything, then NATO will start to resemble the old Warsaw Pact. That is, above all, member states should develop foreign relations based on politics and ideology.
It seems that the Huawei incident served as a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a similar gap dug by the US between its allies and China. As a former member of the Warsaw Pact, Hungary thought itself free by joining NATO and EU, but actually began to suffer new pressure.
The world is changing fast, but Washington is simplistically formulating countermeasures following the bipolar model of the old Cold War. The US expands its strength to form cliques and meanwhile regards China and Russia as the "new axis." This path is a grave error caused by political laziness and a hegemonic, Cold War mentality.
But China's rise by no means signifies a new bipolar structure but rather a multipolar trend. The rise of India will soon become a new focus and the prosperity of medium-sized countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam will also generate momentum inside and outside the region.
Europe faces much more complicated competition than China and Russia. The only choice for Europe is to strengthen itself and cooperate with all potential partners.
China is facing a rare, complex security situation. Politically and ideologically, Beijing has been squeezed by the Washington-led West. Economically, China has suffered a trade war with the US since 2018. There are also hidden maritime and land territorial dangers, as well as the distractions of the Taiwan question and the Tibet and Xinjiang separatism forces. But China has never added these issues to its foreign relations.
Countries that misread the era and follow the US will certainly suffer. Being a tool for Washington's national strategy will only lead to bigoted domestic diplomacy and a gradual loss of external development resources.
Today's US has become synonymous with selfishness and cunning
2019/2/12 20:33:43
Speaking in Hungary, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday cautioned European allies not to use Huawei equipment, saying it would make it more difficult for the US to "partner alongside them." The warning, according to some comments in the US media, is tantamount to a demand that US allies take sides between the US and China. Pompeo also warned Hungary that Russia is seeking to divide the West. He said Russia and China filled a void left by the US shunning Central Europe in the recent past.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto expressed dissatisfaction at a joint news conference with Pompeo. He insisted Budapest can have transparent relations with Moscow, Beijing and the West, saying it was "enormous hypocrisy" that Hungary was singled out for its ties with China and Russia.
The US is lobbying all other NATO countries to boycott Huawei equipment with the obvious intention of making its allies participate in a crackdown on Chinese high-tech companies. Today's Washington has limited interest in NATO's collective defense. Washington has its own private purposes.
Preventing NATO countries approaching China and Russia can serve the US in having a comprehensive competition with China and Russia. Containing Huawei, one of the world's leaders in 5G technology, tops the agenda for Washington and its allies.
If US allies stop using Huawei equipment, no longer purchase energy from Russia, further alienate China and Russia at the demands of Washington while increasing imports from the US and following the US lead in everything, then NATO will start to resemble the old Warsaw Pact. That is, above all, member states should develop foreign relations based on politics and ideology.
It seems that the Huawei incident served as a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a similar gap dug by the US between its allies and China. As a former member of the Warsaw Pact, Hungary thought itself free by joining NATO and EU, but actually began to suffer new pressure.
The world is changing fast, but Washington is simplistically formulating countermeasures following the bipolar model of the old Cold War. The US expands its strength to form cliques and meanwhile regards China and Russia as the "new axis." This path is a grave error caused by political laziness and a hegemonic, Cold War mentality.
But China's rise by no means signifies a new bipolar structure but rather a multipolar trend. The rise of India will soon become a new focus and the prosperity of medium-sized countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam will also generate momentum inside and outside the region.
Europe faces much more complicated competition than China and Russia. The only choice for Europe is to strengthen itself and cooperate with all potential partners.
China is facing a rare, complex security situation. Politically and ideologically, Beijing has been squeezed by the Washington-led West. Economically, China has suffered a trade war with the US since 2018. There are also hidden maritime and land territorial dangers, as well as the distractions of the Taiwan question and the Tibet and Xinjiang separatism forces. But China has never added these issues to its foreign relations.
Countries that misread the era and follow the US will certainly suffer. Being a tool for Washington's national strategy will only lead to bigoted domestic diplomacy and a gradual loss of external development resources.
Today's US has become synonymous with selfishness and cunning
No comments:
Post a Comment