this post was submitted on 15 Apr 2025
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The United States will seek to force the European Union to choose between the US and China on trade, according to briefings circulated to senior ministers and officials after Tánaiste Simon Harris’s meeting in Washington last week with US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick.

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[–] [email protected] 46 points 2 weeks ago

Inb4 trump announces tarrifs on goods exported from China to the EU

[–] [email protected] 27 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I see no possibility that the EU will, if forced to choose, choose anyone other than China.

Russia and the US have both clearly signaled to the EU that they cannot be trusted. I see no reason why the EU would do anything other than believe them.

[–] Timbits 21 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

China likewise has shown itself to be equally as untrustworthy. It openly supports Russia during it's invasion of Ukraine for starters, even the US is pretending to barely support Ukraine.

The EU should not bog itself down with the three tyrants.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Right, but China is untrustworthy in a standard international wheeling and dealing sense, while Russia and the US are both direct, existential threats to the EU and its constituent nations.

Yes - they'd be best off avoiding entanglements with all three, but their very survival might depend on allying with China against an overtly hostile Russia and US.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Trump: dump china if you want to be my friend

EU: no thanks

China: Finally, I've wanted to be friends for so long

EU: no thanks

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

That would certainly be a good way to play it.

But really- the EU doesn't want to alienate China too much, because the time could easily come when having China at their back is the only thing that saves them from being spit-roasted by a US/Russia alliance.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

Totally, then shouldn't be rude about it but it looks like to me they want to keep some safe distance from both the coming years. Maybe pull a Switzerland if it actually comes to ww3, but let's hope not.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

It's a sad world where you always have to consider your actions to not escalate toward a new world war. Things went from okay to bad really quick.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Id use the descriptor volatile for the US and Russia

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

I guess, in the same sense that ones relationship with two hungry-looking men with their hands wrapped around suspicious bulges in their pockets, advancing on you from opposite ends of a dark alley and already arguing over who gets to keep your watch might be considered "volatile."

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 weeks ago

"Who are you gonna buy your products from? The people who already make all your products or me? Remember, I have none of the infrastructure to meet your demands! And if you don't pick me, in gonna make my people spend more money by paying me for the right to buy your products!"
- A true genius

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 weeks ago

I'd rather have China. At least we know with them where we're at and we don't trust them, nor haven't we for a long time. The US seemed trustworthy, but now they are showing their true colors. Europe needs to diversify. Trade with China, India, and Africa.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 weeks ago
[–] Sunshine 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yeah no, eat a bag of bricks you entitled losers.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

A whole bag??? In this economy???

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

They're chinese bricks.

Oh fuck, there is a +125% tariff on them!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

Fuck the US, EU should open up opportunities with China and invest in Brazil and India

[–] phoenixz 5 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Yeah, fuck China in general (not the people, just the government) but fuck the US even more as its actively hostile to just about every country but Russia...

You want your trade war? Enjoy the poverty, assholes

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

Stick with the people who already have all the manufacturing capacity or switch the oligarchic hegemony supposedly “worlds most advanced “ economy that can’t produce anything.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

As annoying as the executive leading the us is its not to bad to have a reason to limit chinas influence on the EU. plenty of other countries to trade with besides the us and china and russia and north korea for that matter.