In the latest international upheaval, Europe is taking the hardest hit. After 300 years of modern civilization and the churn of imperial powers, that era is gone, and a better tomorrow is nowhere in sight.
Europe has one problem: it cannot take care of itself. “No one really knows whether Europe would still be able to produce toothpaste if it weren’t for China,” the EU Chamber of Commerce said.
Europe doesn’t make toothpaste; it sells luxury brands. Fine — look at the latest news. Reuters reports that the U.S.-Israel-Iran war has delivered a blow to European luxury labels. Sales at Dubai’s upscale malls, packed with wealthy shoppers, have fallen 50 percent, and LVMH, France’s largest luxury group, says wealthy Middle Eastern customers have paused spending in Europe because of the conflict in the Gulf region.
The New York Times, in a piece headlined “Europe Is Done With Appeasing Trump”, lays out several of Europe’s current pains.
“The barrage of tariffs that opened the second Trump administration, aimed indiscriminately at friend and foe; the brazen demands that Denmark cede Greenland to the United States, and now the absence of any consultation with European allies before joining Israel in an attack on Iran that has affected the entire world, have erased any illusion among most Europeans that Mr. Trump is anything but an unpredictable, vindictive and uncontrollable danger,” it wrote.
Trump’s latest move is to impose a blockade on all Iranian ports from Monday, adding another barrier in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. president has repeatedly said, with obvious satisfaction, that America has oil and natural gas, and that oil shipping blockage cannot bring the United States to its knees. In other words, if Iran wants a war of attrition, the White House is ready to go all the way. America’s NATO allies, meanwhile, make clear they will “decline to join in.” Europe’s oil supply is already under pressure: Russian oil and gas are cut off, and Middle Eastern shipping now faces a second lock. So is Trump punishing Iran, or Europe?
“Last year, export controls imposed by Beijing on seven rare earth elements and the magnets made from them had especially severe consequences. China is a global leader in the production of these critical raw materials, which are widely used in electric motors, smartphones, and numerous everyday electronic devices,” Deutsche Welle reported. “The EU Chamber of Commerce said nearly one-third of its member companies indicated in a questionnaire survey at the beginning of this year that their business had been affected by China’s export control measures.”
The EU Chamber of Commerce knows perfectly well that China-EU relations have been pulled off course by the United States, and that Europe has not shaped its foreign and trade policy around its own interests. It has even had to tear out 5G networks built by Huawei and ZTE, while Chinese electric vehicles face restrictions. That has only made China-EU ties more tangled. Europe can hardly be called arrogant now. Energy supplies are unstable, and rare earth constraints have turned it into an industrial power with nothing usable to work with. So what now?
Although calls to “de-risk” economic ties with China have persisted for years, many European companies continue to bet on the Chinese market. Over the past year, EU figures show that 26% of companies said they were relocating their supply chains to China, “a proportion twice that of companies choosing to move their supply chains out of China or establish a second hub overseas.” The trend is clearly still going strong.
Europe’s major powers, including France, Italy and Germany, all feel the need to break free from the manipulation and humiliation imposed by the United States, especially the Trump team. Europe has finally woken up and is now pushing for independence and autonomy, placing its national destiny firmly in its own hands.
Nothing in the world is difficult if you are willing to scale the heights. Europe becoming strong again is no dream, but starting over takes patience. I would say 300 years is enough for you to turn things around.
Deep Blue
** The blog article is the sole responsibility of the author and does not represent the position of our company. **
The latest reasonable estimate for Taiwan’s peaceful reunification is 2026, arriving earlier than the United States’ forecast. At yesterday’s regular press conference, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council spokesperson stated clearly, “After reunification, the mainland’s strong infrastructure construction capabilities will provide powerful support for upgrading and renewing Taiwan’s infrastructure.”
This hope appears driven by the Taiwanese public’s desire to return as soon as possible.
Recently, a Taiwanese delegation toured the Xiamen section of the Xiamen-Kinmen Bridge and the construction site of Xiamen Xiang'an Airport. They marveled at the rapid progress on both projects and were deeply impressed by the mainland’s infrastructure strengths. Last October, the mainland proposed that after reunification, Taiwan would see “seven improvements,” including "better infrastructure construction after peaceful reunification.”
Spokesperson Zhu Fenglian gave an example: after peaceful reunification, “we can jointly build the long-studied Cross-Strait Expressway, turning what was once a natural barrier into a passage. At that time, Taiwanese people could leave the island and drive along the Beijing-Taiwan Expressway all the way to Beijing for sightseeing.” With Taiwan’s current economic situation, getting a high-speed rail circle around the island done ASAP would be just an “empty promise” tossed around during Taiwan elections.
To recap, the other elements of the “seven improvements” include: 1. Better economic development, sharing opportunities under One China; 2. Saying no to military confrontation, leading to stability and prosperity; 3. No longer buying “secondhand military equipment” or paying the “intelligence tax” of arms sales; 4. Greater unity between compatriots on both sides to better support Chinese rejuvenation; 5. Taiwan expanding its international space and enjoying rights; 6. Better livelihoods, with guaranteed social security and healthcare.
However, the Green Camp was unsettled. Some media voiced opposing views, with arguments that were weak yet somewhat sympathetic. For example, some claimed, "China continuously applies verbal and military intimidation against Taiwan, holding frequent large-scale military exercises last year, with PLA aircraft and naval vessels repeatedly harassing Taiwan." The blunt conclusion: many Taiwanese people therefore do not appreciate China’s so-called 'Seven Improvements.' Quite a statement!
Reality check: the rapid turn of public opinion in Taiwan toward peaceful unification is indeed driven by this 'verbal and military intimidation.' Note, this stems from the United States’ illegal attack on Iran and the resulting conflict spilling over into the Gulf region.
Trump tried to escape a prolonged quagmire by escalating the crisis but failed, leading to multiple daily rounds of various "verbal and military intimidation" worldwide.
One notable figure here is John Mearsheimer, a University of Chicago professor who originally argued that after the Soviet Union’s collapse, the US should focus entirely on confronting China’s "rise." Recently, watching Iran’s strategic success in containing the US and Israel and becoming the dominant force on the battlefield, he warned that the US risked being dragged deeper and deeper into defeat,.
This is not alarmism but the inevitability of US decline. Need more evidence? In the 1990s, Brzezinski proposed Eurasia as the grand chessboard for global dominance; the US must never lose its grip and must prevent China, Russia, and Iran from uniting in a contiguous alliance. Brzezinski worried about Iran’s ambition—the revival of Islam.
At the time, this was considered alarmist, as the US was at its peak, and even fiction couldn’t imagine a China-Russia-Iran alliance. Yet now Trump, with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, has realized this “impossible mission.”
The failed US offensive against Iran combined with its growing impotence has shattered the US military myth. Taiwan cannot afford to sink along with that force. Everyone across the Taiwan Strait would sing the song "Tomorrow Will Be Better" in one voice. But some might say China faces an even more fearsome rival emerging in the region.
Who? One with rare earth elements enough for 700 years, mid-range missiles covering both sides of the Strait, and a 600-year record as a victorious 'Eastern Great Power.' It deserves everyone’s attention. I say, which national leader can overturn the White House? Only that 'Eastern Great Power' can.
