What can China achieve had all those sanctions not been in place? It also shows that the sanctions are not working as planned.
Having said that, does all the sanctions against Russia working? In fact, it is working against the USA and its European allies. Why do I say that? The USA is unknowingly helping China to be more competitive with cheap Russian oil now flowing through pipelines into China. The USA is in fact punishing the Europeans, its allies, with expensive energy and crippling their economy.
Anonymous
In spite of cutting their noses to spite their faces over the Ukraine War, the Europeans are still singing the song of hope that their trade deficits against China are 'not an option'. People in glass houses should not always think of throwing stones, as geopolitics is changing fast. The USA and EU are now not the de facto market for Chinese exports. The Global South is and is growing exponentially. Even trade with Russia is expanding.
ReplyDeleteChina has eyes next on the big market in Africa, a continent of 1.4 billion people and growing. Sure, they are still poor, but with all the infrastructures built by China, with African students now studying in Chinese universities learning Chinese strategy and who will later return home to serve the people, progress is no longer a fallacy but a reality. If China could rise within four decades to build up its massive middle class, it should work for Africa. Progress is not the monopoly and prerogative of the Anglo-Saxon Whites and China has proven it.
On another note, Volkswagen just reported cutting 100,000 jobs and closing four plants in Germany. Is this an indication that its troubles are not yet over or just giving a sign of what is worse to come? Is this an indication that Germany is still strong enough country to lead Europe against China?
If the EU wants to follow the path of the USA by trying to counter China, it is writing its own epitaph of self-destruction. EU trade with China is important but is not an existential threat that could collapse China. The sword cuts both ways.