The most exciting news in international politics in the past two days is that Trump is going to meet Putin in Hungary.
When the news came out, European countries were furious. No matter how independent Hungary is, it is still a member of the European Union in name.
The EU is now sanctioning Russia, and even Putin himself is on the sanctions list, and the result is that the US president has done well, rushing directly to the EU site and Putin shrugged his hand.
How is this not giving face? This is clearly a loud slap in the face to the EU in front of the whole world.
The EU's Dilemma: Sanctions Become Display
The most embarrassing thing to say is the EU sanctions order.
According to the current sanctions, Putin's special plane could not enter EU airspace. Then the question arises: How did Putin get to Hungary?
In the end, the European Union gave up and directly issued an exemption order to Putin.
In this case, the entire sanctions system has become an international joke. can break the case once, can break the case ten times. today can open the green light to Putin, tomorrow can release to other high-ranking Russian officials.
EU officials complained privately that it was a "public humiliation of the EU's diplomatic status and a political nightmare". But what's the use of complaining? In action, it's not obedient giving in.
To tell the truth, Trump dares to play like this, that is, he is sure that the EU will flinch. The president of the United States knows Europe too well, and he shouts loudly. At the critical moment, he retreats faster than anyone else.
The same is true of Putin. These two political strongmen joined forces to teach Europe a lesson and hold the EU to death.
Europe's double standard: weak to Russia, strong to China
Europe’s politicians are also interesting.
In the face of the United States, they are gentle like sheep; but in the face of China, they are completely different.
Recently, the Dutch government has openly robbed the "Anse Semiconductor", although there is pressure from the United States, but the European people's own caution is also evident - they don't feel like China can take them, they think that China will negotiate well with them, after all, the Europeans feel that they are China's worthy object.
Even when China banned Nexperia's products from being exported to Europe, the Dutch looked surprised: How can you do this?
This is typical of getting beaten less.
Anshi Semiconductor has been able to take off in the past five years by riding the free ride of China's industrial system and enjoying the dividends of the outbreak of China's new energy industry. Otherwise, it will still be a half-dead enterprise.
But Europeans feel that all this is due to them.
This thought, like some dishonored children, always felt that the whole world should allow him.
In Europe, some countries are actually better off than us.
Needless to say, Trump directly chose Hungary as the meeting venue this time, which was clearly telling the EU: Your sanctions are just waste paper to me.
Putin is also a skilled man, specializing in selecting the soft ribs of Europe. energy cards, refugee cards, hit Europe with no help.
Even Erdogan in Turkey is stronger than us in this regard.Do you remember the time when Von der Leyen was humiliated by Turkey?
But on the turn of China, the lady completely changed her side-face, speaking and doing things through a high-profile force.
Why is there such a big difference?
To be honest, it is that we are too reasonable, too restraintful. such as Trump, Putin, Erdogan, these people are all looking at and out of hand, the humiliation is absolutely unfriendly, should not be compassionate when it comes to cheating.
In the final analysis, Europe's double-standard attitude is that its mentality has not been adjusted.
They always think that China will continue to be as tolerant and inclusive as before, and that even if they do anything excessive, China will eventually take the weight of the situation.
But the times have changed.
Nowadays, China no longer believes in this kind of thing 。The Anshi Semiconductor incident is a clear signal: if you dare to rob my company, I will dare to let your investment go to waste.
Speaking of which, this is just like what our teachers taught us when we were young: study hard and make progress every day. In international exchanges, we must be tough when we should be tough, and we must act when we should act.
Some people, without fighting for three days, will go to the house, and the phrase is placed in international relations, and the same applies.
It is no accident that Hungary was chosen for this meeting.
Hungary under Orban's leadership has long become an "alien" within the EU. On the issue of sanctions against Russia, he has always played devil's advocate; He is also much more pragmatic than other European countries in dealing with China.
This time, providing a meeting place for Trump and Putin, has played this "special one-off" to the extreme.
Although other EU countries are angry, they can’t take him. after all, Hungary is still a member of the EU, and can’t be expelled because of this?
I have to say that Trump’s election was really brilliant – it both gave Putin a face, it hit the face of the EU, and by the way, it separated from internal relations in Europe, a shot and a shot.
This incident exposed the deep-seated predicament of the EU:
On the one hand, they want to maintain "strategic autonomy" and do not want to be completely manipulated by the United States; on the other hand, they cannot be tough in the face of powers like the United States and Russia.
To make matters worse, when dealing with relations with China, they are still using the same old thinking, thinking that they can still treat China condescendingly.
Reality will teach them: this path is not going.
There is an old saying in China: feared the strongIn international relations, this principle also applies.The more you retreat, the more others step forward; the harder you are, the others will respect you.
If Europe wants to win true respect on the international stage, it must first learn to treat all partners equally. Don't grovel in front of the United States and Russia, nor be arrogant in front of China.
Likewise, China needs to make Europe understand that mutual respect is the basis of cooperation.If we always treat China with a sense of superiority, don’t blame us for speaking with strength.
This meeting between Trump and Putin was undoubtedly a lesson for Europe.
In this world where power politics still exists, it is not enough to have good wishes, but it is also necessary to have the determination and ability to defend their own interests.
If the EU continues to be like this, it not only wants to maintain its moral high ground, but also constantly gives in the face of power. In the end, it will only become a chessboard for the game between big powers, but cannot become a chess player.
For China, this is also an important revelation: in international exchanges, sometimes we need to learn from Trump's "playing tricks without common sense," Putin's "daring to shine a sword," and even Erdogan's "precise handling".
After all, international politics is essentially a game of power. Only let your opponent understand your bottom line and determination can you win true respect.
The world has changed, and the only thing that remains unchanged is the jungle law of the strong, and if Europe is still immersed in the old dream, there will be more pain.