Joe Biden arrived in Europe this week with a very different image than that of his preening predecessor, Donald Trump, but there’s one big issue on which — rhetoric aside — the two men are aligned: the China challenge
Biden will have a tough sell to get Europe on board with a united front against China, as leading European countries remain skeptical of siding with America to confront Beijing. | AP Photo/Patrick SemanskyBRUSSELS — .
“The EU agrees with the U.S. on certain concerns arising from China’s rise to be a global power,” a senior European Union diplomat said. “But China is more of a concern for Washington than for Berlin or Paris. After all, it’s the American economy that will be overtaken by the Chinese one.” Another fear stems from Beijing’s largesse in acquiring critical infrastructure all over the world through the Belt and Road initiative. Over the G7 summit in the U.K., Biden, Macron, Merkel and the other world leaders are expected to announce what Biden has called a “high-quality” alternative to China’s Belt and Road initiative, a multibillion-dollar scheme to build infrastructure in the developing world.
“So far, the signs from the U.S. are in the right direction,” an EU official said. “Biden’s visit will be a chance for us to see if the Americans are walking the talk, to consult with us on how to move forward on China, not just asking us to go their way.”Making Biden’s mission easier, China has rocked the boat of what was once a positive vibe with Europe.
While that may be the case, Europe will continue to debate whether the best way forward is to put up a united front with America, with France at the forefront of such hesitation.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Joe Biden makes China TikTok spat less personalThe U.S. president revoked Donald Trump's ban of the video app and message service WeChat. Rather than singling out specific entities, national security assessments will instead rest on defined criteria like who controls them. That puts curbs on clearer and firmer ground.
Read more »
Joe Biden makes China TikTok spat less personalA U.S. crackdown on Chinese video app TikTok is no longer so much about TikTok. President Joe Biden on Wednesday revoked his predecessor’s order to bar the social network and messaging service WeChat. Instead of singling out specific businesses, national security reviews will now depend on whether they are owned by foreign adversaries and other criteria.
Read more »
Queen Elizabeth II and Joe Biden to have tea together at Windsor CastleThe president will have tea at Windsor Castle with Queen Elizabeth II on the final day of his U.K. visit, among plans released by Buckingham Palace.
Read more »
Biden supply chain 'strike force' to target China on tradeThe United States will target China with a new 'strike force' to combat unfair trade practices, the Biden administration said on Tuesday, as it rolled out findings of a review of access to critical products, from semiconductors to electric-vehicle batteries. The 'supply chain trade strike force,' led by the U.S. trade representative, is looking for specific violations that contributed to a hollowing out of supply chains that could be addressed with tariffs or other remedies, including toward China, White House senior director for international economics and competitiveness Peter Harrell told reporters.
Read more »
Analysis: Joe Biden heads overseas as his prospects darken at home'Joe Biden is heading abroad, just at the moment when his hopes for a historic legislative legacy at home seem headed for a wall.' Analysis by StCollinson
Read more »
Joe Biden 'clone' conspiracy theory spreads on FacebookAn outlandish theory suggesting the president is 'a lookalike, double or clone' is starting to spread across social media platforms.
Read more »