As the United States retreats from several international forums, Europe must carefully consider its relationship with China. According to research professor Mikael Mattlin, Europe will soon need more China than China in Europe.
At the same time as Europe focuses on the situation in Ukraine, the role of China in the world is growing and its relationship with the United States and Europe is changing. This is how the research professor of the Institute for Foreign Policy Mikael Mattlin.
Mattlin sees that US President Donald Trump The warmed upside of Russia is based on two alternative scenarios he describes in A-studio.
The first option is that the United States has become close to Russia as he sought to weaken the relationship between China and Russia.
– According to the first option, the United States sees that Russia has to be removed from the China side in order to work against China, Mattlin sums up one of the US motives in Russia.
Another possibility, according to Mattlin, is that the United States, China and Russia will make the deal in the future.
– For China, this is related to Taiwan. I do not exclude the possibility that the United States can accept Taiwan as part of the Chinese interest circle.
According to Mattlin, Russia could include Ukraine and Greenland, for example, in the United States.
According to Mattlin, these options are now on the table, but the big question is which option is more likely.
– This is the big open question that should now be followed in China -US relations.
According to Mattlin, both options are poor from the point of view of Europe, but the interest rate is the worst.
– The unfortunate question is how Europe would happen in this pattern. Traditionally, Russia has seen Finland as its own interest, Mattlin points out.
– Quite a few would have believed in such a scenario a year ago, but now it is starting to look quite possible.
Chinese experts disagree
Professor of Chinese Society and Culture at the University of Lapland Matti Nojonen disagrees with Mattlin.
– In theory, it could be like that, but I don’t believe it. Would Europe then be absolutely inactive here, Nojonen asks.
Nojonen recalls that since the early 2000s, China has said that the prevailing world order is unfair and must be changed. Now Trump gives it to China on a gold plate.
– China has an effort to displace the United States in world politics, but the United States helps China here.
Nojonen lists the ways in which the United States is now raising China’s role in the world.
– The United States has broken the international security architecture, broken multilateral organizations and caused a trade war. China didn’t need to do anything.
Europe to consider its relationship with China
According to Mattlin, it is now important for Europe to consider how it reacts to China.
– In this situation, European options are quite limited. With Russia, the situation is what is, and if you can’t work with the United States, the options are low. If China offers a hand of cooperation, you should at least consider it.
According to Mattlin, China now has a charming campaign for the EU.
The EU should now look for things where it could find a common tune with China.
– With regard to sustainable development themes and multilateral institutions, we currently have more common to China than the current US administration.
China now takes a strong role in many organizations and forums that the United States retreat.
– We are so used to the fact that the United States plays a role in almost everything. In five years, however, the world may look quite different.
According to Mattlin, Europe will soon need more China than China in Europe.
See the full A-studio at Arena.