Chatham House: President Trump’s Actions Strengthen China-Europe Relations

United States President Donald Trump’s actions against Europe are pushing the Continent closer to China, Chatham House think tank wrote on Tuesday.

Why it matters: China is the U.S.’s top rival. Turning allies—including countries that have a recent history of warring against America—to China could prove detrimental for America.

Details: The London-based think tank drew attention to the fact that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for a rethink of Sino-European relations at the recent Munich Security Conference. Multiple European leaders seem willing to do such.

Microchips: One way this could hurt the U.S. is through the vital microchip market.

• President Trump is working to keep advanced chips out of China’s hands to punish the Chinese Communist Party’s predatory trade practices.
• One way he seeks to do this is by cutting off its supply of highly specialized lithography machines, a vital tool in chip manufacturing that the Netherlands has a monopoly on.
• Cutting off China hurts the Netherlands economically, so Amsterdam must have good reason from America to do so.

President Trump’s actions against Europe could backfire if they cause the Netherlands to switch allegiance to China in this vital market. But Chatham House warns:

While some European countries may see quick wins in turning to Chinese alternatives to de-risk from the U.S., reducing exposure to dependencies on one actor should not be traded for further entrenching dependencies on another. Old problems in the China-EU relationship have not gone away simply because the world around it has changed.

Prophesied alliance: The Bible prophesies that China and Europe will soon make an economic alliance against the U.S. The stage is being set for this alliance to form. The Bible reveals that this is an ominous sign for the U.S.

Learn more: Read “The Great ‘Mart of Nations.’”