File photo: VCG

The US has recently ramped up its engagement with its European allies in an attempt to rally them to confront China. After US National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien's three-day visit to Europe, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo paid a flying visit to the UK and Denmark from Monday to Wednesday. It has become evident that by the virtue of UK's banning Huawei from its 5G telecom network, the US intends to widen the crack between China and Europe. With political appeals, security coercion, and the suspension of the trade war, the US hopes its European allies will cooperate with it in a bid to further extract surplus value from its transatlantic partners.

"Western democracy" has suddenly become a buzzword in recent US-Europe interactions. After a three-year spat, the US and Europe seem to have found their political consensus. Pompeo said in June that the US and the EU must face down the "China threat."

Europeans are aware of the new US policy priorities and some are catering to Washington. They seem to have forgotten the spats they have had in recent years with the Trump administration. 

Downplaying and shifting frictions, regaining their "political consensus," and playing the banner of the "Western camp" are among the first measures the US is establishing to maximize the surplus value of its transatlantic partners. 

Their political consensus results from the US using issues such as COVID-19 pandemic to create discord between China and Europe. The US attributes its inaptitude in epidemic prevention to China, elevates China-US rivalry into a China-West struggle, and makes this into propaganda across Europe. 

The US shift in its strategy toward Europe has, to some extent, awakened fear and hostility that some European conservatives harbor toward non-Western countries. Furthermore, Joe Biden's lead over Trump in the polls for the presidential election has raised the confidence of certain pro-US Europeans regarding US-Europe ties under a Democratic government.

In terms of security, it is difficult for Europe to decouple from the US in security matters because Europe lacks the confidence of strategic autonomy. 

The "threat of death" is a second method that the US uses to deal with Europe. It means, in terms of security, the US hijacks Europe for both continental and international matters. Under the political banner of jointly containing China, the US is trying to mobilize Europe to rally a joint fleet in order to stir up trouble in the South China Sea. This is appealing to some European countries.

The US regards its economic ties with European countries as a guaranteed and effective channel to implement US policy in Europe. Europe cannot abandon its huge interests in the US market and it is deeply dependent on US technology. Therefore, the US can repeatedly abuse its long-arm jurisdiction. As a result, European countries have to submit to humiliation in the face of US unilateralism.

The US recognizes China's huge economic attraction to Europe. In order to rope in Europe, the US has to reduce European countries' reliance on China's economy. Hence, the third measure is coercion - by sanction and persuasion. This is clearly embodied in the US' attempt to form a united front against Huawei.

Most European countries rest on Huawei's leading technology and cost-effective outcomes. Washington cannot provide an alternative or persuade them to ban this Chinese high-tech giant. As a response, the US set its move to drive Huawei out of the US market as an example for European countries. Moreover, Washington groundlessly accused Huawei of threatening the US national security. Additionally, the US also proposed to develop a viable US-European alternative to compete with Huawei. As a consequence, some European countries are seduced by the so-called political security, and thus surrendered to "America First" policy.

The ties between the US and its European allies are indeed undergoing a huge transformation. In the domains of politics, security, and economics, the two sides tend to be self-reliant. However, the US will still rely on its national power and make use of these three above-mentioned measures to ensure its European allies stay on its side. Europe will inevitably vacillate on its China policy. This will become a new normal of the trilateral relationship in the changing international landscape. China should have the confidence, wisdom and capability to combat such complicated situations.

The author is director of the Department of European Studies, China Institute of International Studies. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn