Five years ago, Middle East Eye published a column noting that it would be unwise, to say the least, for the United States to engage Iran, Russia and China at the same time. Unfortunately, the US has forged ahead with exactly this policy - with disastrous results.
Incredibly, the European Union, far less powerful than the US by any metric, seems determined to follow the same mistaken path, and has now turned its attention to China.
In mid-June, EU leaders agreed to address “global macroeconomic imbalances”, referring to China’s increasing trade surplus with Europe. The EU has also moved to curb China’s role in the tech sector, while wading into Beijing’s internal politics.
Earlier this year, China’s legislature adopted the landmark Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress, which took effect at the start of July. The law encourages members of China’s 56 ethnic groups to adopt a common national identity.
The European Parliament responded with a resolution condemning the law and warning China that its implementation would “lead to severe consequences for EU-China relations”.
