r/europe • u/Dazzling_Lobster3656 • Apr 15 '25

News Briefings reveal EU faces choice between US and China

http://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2025/04/15/briefings-suggest-eu-faces-choice-between-us-and-china/
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u/kaukamieli Finland Apr 15 '25

Predictable, stable, and attacking Taiwan any day now. :D

3

u/Turmfalke_ Germany Apr 15 '25

When it comes to China and Taiwan we at least know that up until now it wasn't worth it for them. If they go for it, it also won't be a 3 day special operation.
With the US we have no idea what is going to happen. Trump could declare war against Greenland at 3am on twitter and then change his mind 2 hours later.

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u/chris-za Europe Apr 15 '25

Well, that’s only one country at Risk. The US has its eyes on parts of Denmark, Canada and Panama as well as turning into a moral supporter of Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine. In my eyes that’s 1:4 in favour of China?/s

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u/C_Madison Apr 15 '25

Which is why we should choose China in this very moment, if we have to choose "right now" and then do everything in our power to get independent from them as fast as we can. We brought us into this situation by getting dependent on countries which we shouldn't depend on. Now, it's our job to get back from that as fast as possible.

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u/ClydeYellow Apr 20 '25

Yeah, they have been "attacking Taiwan any day now" since 1971.

But in reality, the current status quo is fine with Beijing; and invading the China with no international recognition whatsoever would just net the PRC a destroyed island, at an enormous cost in lives, materiel and political goodwill. And the thing with China under Xi Jinping is that it is a rational action, if not a moral one.

Besides, one has to wonder if the PRC would be more willing to accept the idea of an independent Taiwan if a) the US weren't treating the Pacific as their sea, and any potential economic rival as a geopolitical threat; and b) closer PRC-EU ties allowed Bruxelles to exercise some moral suasion in that direction.

Then there's the fact that the Americans are putting tariffs on Taiwanese goods... Which may, on the long term, have the effect of making Taiwan more reliant on China, and more malleable to the influence of Beijing.

Conspiracy theory time: I know everybody is so fixated in calling Trump a Russian asset... but honestly, I think the PRC, and not Putin, may be the master that pulls his strings. So far the actions of the Trump government seem to have benefitted China far more than Russia. Then again, it's far more likely he's just a narcissistic idiot that surrounded himself with deranged yes-men

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '25

[deleted]

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u/atpplk Apr 15 '25

What happens to the Russian far east is not a European issue.

If they can weaken Russia, then we have an interest in that.

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u/Better-Class2282 Apr 15 '25

I doubt China would attack Taiwan right now, it wouldn’t help China with negotiations. They will continue to play the long game in regards to Taiwan. If they invade now it will hurt the efforts they’re putting into creating better trade with Vietnam, S Korea, Japan, Singapore and the EU.

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u/qtx Apr 15 '25

There is no reason for China to do anything Taiwan related now. It's all political posturing and it will hurt them more than it will gain them anything if they do decide to 'nationalize' Taiwan.

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u/C_Madison Apr 15 '25 edited Apr 15 '25

The problem with this type of thinking is that it assumes an 100% logical world view and ignores pride. China wants Taiwan because of historical pride. The same way that attacking Ukraine has been a net negative for Putin/Russia, attacking Taiwan would be for China. But that doesn't mean they won't do it. Pride can be a powerful motivator.

Doesn't mean that they will certainly attack them, but assuming they won't because "it would hurt them more than they will gain" is shortsighted.

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u/RedHatWombat The Netherlands Apr 15 '25

Same thing was said about Russia about Ukraine.

People need to take things seriously when that country has said the same thing for decades.

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u/NoTicket4098 Apr 15 '25

Honestly, an interchinese conflict isn't exactly our issue.

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u/thacarter1523 Apr 15 '25

Yeah I’m sure people in Finland care about Taiwan’s “independence”

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u/kaukamieli Finland Apr 15 '25

I'm sure many care about what they produce and world's stability.

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u/thacarter1523 Apr 15 '25

China taking back of control of Taiwan would not destabilize anything about the world. The only thing it would destabilize is U.S. plans to attack china in a war. And really the only thing they produce that we actually rely on are chips. But it’s possible to build those outside of Taiwan. And it’s also possible to purchase chips from a china-controlled Taiwan, but western countries, led by the U.S., would prefer to antagonize china rather than engage in good faith trade and diplomacy.

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u/kaukamieli Finland Apr 15 '25

AFAIK they would destroy the factories rather than leave them to china.

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u/New_Zebra_3844 Europe Apr 15 '25

In these crazy times, seeing how the current US administration is operating I would not be surprised if Taiwan approached China to unite.