Global Times recently published an official commentary suggesting that, in the West, the United States is marginalizing the European Union. The article indicated that the combined size of the EU economy is not only larger than China’s, but also outweighs the U.S. economy. However, the EU’s international influence is far weaker than that of the U.S. and its international competitiveness is far behind the U.S. as well. It is obvious that the EU’s weakness is the result of a lack of cohesion. The EU members sometimes act on their own. How can the EU improve? First, the EU should not be “constrained” by the U.S. and it should have an independent opinion. Second, the EU has a very weak military position and it has a high dependency on U.S. military protection. The EU’s own security is like a sand castle on the beach. Third, the idea that the EU and the U.S. share the same common values is in fact not true. It is because a lot of these “values” are there to serve the U.S.’ national interests, not the EU’s. The EU has become numb due to long “U.S. rule.” In the meantime, it has become very sensitive about the rise of China. The EU should adjust its strategy and prevent itself from being lost.
Source: Global Times, March 25, 2019
http://opinion.huanqiu.com/editorial/2019-03/14607756.html?agt=15422