After Trump Visit, Germany Seeks New Alliances

After Trump Visit, Germany Seeks New Alliances

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stand in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on May 30, 2017.

TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP/Getty Images

Chancellor Merkel looks east as President Trump pulls America back from Europe.

By Josué Michels • June 5

India and China, two rising Asian powers, pledged to increase cooperation with Europe in the past week. On May 30, the prime minister of India visited Germany; the premier of China visited June 1. The promises of increased cooperation in various areas came at the same time as United States President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord.

“We are living in global uncertainties,” said German Chancellor Angela Merkel after a discussion with Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday (Trumpet translation throughout). “In this, we see ourselves responsible for increasing our partnership in various areas and to support a rule-based world order,” she continued. The two agreed to cooperate more closely in the areas of free trade, climate protection and security.

Just after President Trump announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris Agreement, China and Germany pledged to replace the U.S. as the driving force behind the agreement. China currently has the highest percentage of carbon emissions in the world. Germany, on the other hand, is a world leader in deploying environment-friendly technologies. The survival of the agreement now largely depends on their partnership.

Differences, however, are not as easily brushed aside. Though both partners agreed on the terms of climate change, the European Union and China still have major disagreements as far as global trade is concerned. The EU still does not grant China the status of a market economy, because that would prevent Europe from placing protective tariffs on incoming Chinese products.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told Agence France-Presse that “the EU and China agree on everything but the trade issue.” Last year, the same issue almost escalated into a trade war between the two, as China insisted the EU accept it as a market economy. Today, both are more willing to overlook these differences. Juncker said on Friday that both will work together to find a fair trade agreement. Once this issue is settled, they will be able to confront climate change together.

Two days before Li Keqiang’s visit, Germany hosted delegates from another rising giant in the East: India.

India is predicted to be the third-largest economic power by the mid-21st century and will play a major role in shaping the future. Germany and India agreed on intensifying their cooperation on development.

“We will invest a billion euro each year,” Chancellor Merkel said after meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two set up a joint budget for future technological investments. “The investments include sustainable urban development, renewable energies, digital technologies, infrastructure projects and educational opportunities on the Indian labor market,” German newspaper Die Zeit reported.

Merkel stressed the importance of this new forming alliance, but also clarified that it should not be seen as a strike against any other relationship, especially not against the transatlantic relationship with the United States. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported on June 1 that although the relationship with the U.S. is crucial to Merkel, “Donald Trump should not fool himself. Germany is currently forging new alliances in regards to climate and trade policies with China and India.”

The Bible prophesies that this new alliance between Asia and Europe will eventually leave America isolated and bring about its economic collapse.