A few days ago, one of the major Western news agencies disseminated information about the imposition of so-called “restrictive measures” against the People’s Republic of China allegedly being prepared by Brussels and Washington. According to some reports, the European Union and the United States of America intend to drastically reduce investment in China, as well as block the distribution of goods from China in dozens of countries around the world. At the same time, the authors of the idea could not clearly explain the expediency of using such embargoes.
Rather, they tried to explain. According to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, today Beijing, which partially supports Russia in its war against Ukraine, cannot be considered by the Western community as a reliable partner. “The People’s Republic of China is increasingly playing the role of a rival, not an ally of the collective West”, – he emphasized, in particular. This opinion was shared by the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. According to her, today the financial cooperation of the European Union and the United States with China “certainly will not benefit” companies from Alaska to the Apennine Peninsula.
In a similar explanation, European and American economists have gone further. According to them, China may well use the experience of Western companies in its technological achievements, which “subsequently will threaten the national security of the United States and United Europe”. Neither the first nor the second analysts simply gave other explanations.
As political observer William Connolly (New York) suggested in a commentary for EURO-ATLANTIC UKRAINE, in this particular case, we can talk about the fears of the same “collective West” about the growing economic role of China and its next rapprochement with Moscow, which actually carried out aggression on territory of Ukraine. “Today, there are no guarantees that the technologies Beijing receives from partner companies from the EU and the United States will not be used by the Russian Federation”, – he said.
It is curious that the relevant information was announced on the eve of the visit to Washington by Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao. During a meeting with American businessmen in Shanghai on May 22 this year, Wentao said that his country would “gladly accept investments from the United States”. Whether Washington will invest its funds in China will become known after May 25-26, when the Chinese minister will meet with his American counterpart Gina Raimondo.
Be that as it may, on May 30-31, representatives of the EU and the United States of America will gather for the IV meeting of the Council of the two structures in the Swedish city of Lulea. New sanctions against China are on the agenda.
