The enemy today is Russia. But everything points to the next person out there China. The encounter between Joe Biden And Ursula von der Leyen In Washington with these buildings. negative impact ofInflation Reduction ActEuropean response with Net-Zero Business Plan – Expected for next week with Critical Raw Materials Act On rare earth — and potential concessions the United States could make to its European ally was just one of the topics on the table. Perhaps it is not the main goal in relation to the primary goal of the renewed transatlantic alliance: confrontationBeijing’s commercial and technological dominance.
According to the data that followed the meeting, it appears that the transatlantic tension has decreased. The President of the European Union Commission praised the maximum US stimulus plan Emphasizing that such a “huge investment” in green technologies is Good for everyone. That is why, he explained, in the wake of the IRA Brussels launch of its green technology plan. Now, between European and American incentives, it must be found Meeting point “If they don’t ally, they will cancel each other out,” a White House official explained. To ensure that European companies could also benefit from US subsidies, the US President and von der Leyen began working on trade deal on important minerals, Essential for the production of electric vehicle batteries. If an agreement is reached, Washington and Brussels will also get the side effect of reducing dependence on China, which is rich in these elements. The two leaders also pledged to reach an agreement on sustainable steel and aluminum by October 2023. The United States and the European Union took “two important steps”: Starting work “for an agreement on critical materials” and “ensuring safe supply chains for batteries in the EU and the guarantee access to the US market. Ursula von der Leyen said after the summit. At the same time, he added, “the dialogue on incentives for clean energy will begin.”
China is not directly mentioned in the conversation between Biden and von der Leyen but is present between the lines of the joint statement, especially when it comes to the need to strengthen “economic and national security.” As evidence that the European Union also wants to gradually free itself from the dragon, the President brought the Netherlands’ decision to the Oval Office, immediately after Japan’s decision, Banning the export of microchip production technologies to Beijing. A victory for Biden, who has been trying to convince allies to take this decisive step for months and whopreparing for further tightening next month On semiconductor exports to China.
But for Washington, Beijing is not a threat to the West Only from an economic point of view. And as far as we know, the US president is ready to engage with Brussels intelligence Which indicates that China is ready to supply arms to Russia in its war against Ukraine. Von der Leyen and Biden reaffirmed the power of transatlantic unity in the face of aggression from before Russian President Vladimir Putin(“Russia will pay for the atrocities committed in Russia,” the EU leader stressed), and expressed his intention to impose new sanctions not only against Moscow but also against “third countries,” the expression the US administration usually refers to Beijing.
The United States and the European Union are also workingTo further reduce Russian revenue, At the same time, ensuring the continuity of energy supplies to emerging markets and developing countries through the maximum price set by the Group of Seven major industrialized countries for crude oil and petroleum products of Russian origin transported by sea. On the energy front, the President of the European Commission thanked Biden for the gas supplies that allowed Europe to overcome the crisis caused by Vladimir Putin. Von der Leyen stressed that the United States “helped us greatly when we wanted to get rid of dependence on Russian energy.”
The project of liberation from China carried out by von der Leyen is complex and it is said that it will not be well absorbed by all 27. There is the issue of “domestic and international guarantees” – mentioned by the Italian and German finance ministers. Giancarlo Giorgetti and Christian Lindner – which various EU capitals demand in the face of a costly change of pace. China’s economic relations with various member states remain close and clear: change in progress takes time. But the war in Ukraine could speed it up. Aid provided to Moscow by third countries such as North Korea and Iran And the need to intensify circumvention of sanctions will be among the topics of the meeting between von der Leyen and Biden.
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