Hong Kong’s National Security Act has clearly demonstrated the extent of the split between the European Union and the United States.
About this writes the publication The New York Times.
“The tension is obvious. While the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom issued a comprehensive joint statement condemning China’s national security law in Hong Kong, which is tantamount to seizing the city legally, the European Union issued a meager five-sentence declaration promising to “raise” the issue in the ongoing dialogue with China”, – says the publication.
In addition, the publication criticized the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who refused to support the US position during a video conference with representatives of the Chinese government. Moreover, China is supported not only by politicians. NYT recalled how Beijing supplied Italy with medical masks in the midst of a pandemic. As a result, April polls showed that Italians consider the PRC a “friendly country”.
Among Germans, the mood is also far from pro-American. In May, a sociological survey showed that 25% of the people of Germany improved their attitude to China during the pandemic. Moreover, 73% said that their opinion of the United States became worse.
At the same time, the author admits that the United States itself is to blame for the situation. Excessive belligerence and the prospects of a trade war with the EU are the arguments that only push Europe to cooperate with China.