China, Russia Join for Push to Split U.S. From Allies

[left-of-center2012]

If China and the U.S. are in the midst of a divorce, Europeans look increasingly like the children.
That was the impression given by a series of back-to-back appearances on Saturday, from U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Chinese politburo member Yang Jiechi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The speeches put growing great power rivalries on display, but with Europe more the object of a custody battle than a participant.

Speaking at the annual Munich Security Conference, Yang looked like he was trying to drive a wedge between the U.S. and its European Union allies, singling out transatlantic differences over multilateralism and technology investment. He spent much of his speech extolling the virtues of cooperation, international organizations and free trade, popular in Europe, and attacked the dangers of "protectionism," as well as “hegemony and power politics." The U.S. wasn’t named, but the target was clear.

Lavrov invited the EU to create an integrated economic space in Eurasia with Russia and echoed President Vladimir Putin’s recent public endorsement of French-led plans to build a European army.

Merkel restated German support for the Iran nuclear deal. She also appealed for the U.S. to consult its allies before any new decision on deployments in Afghanistan. European officials were dismayed by Trump’s failure to consult them on his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria. "We need to talk about that." She reserved her most aggrieved language for the potential U.S. imposition of tariffs on imports of European automobiles and parts. She noted that the biggest plant producing BMWs was in South Carolina.

Pence in his speech sought to show the U.S. hasn’t actually gone away and remains the unchallenged leader of the West.
Pence said “America is leading the free world once again.’’

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-16/china-and-russia-team-up-for-push-to-split-u-s-from-nato-allies?srnd=politics-vp

[Scarsdale]

1. "America is leading the free world, once again"???

In what - STUPIDITY? Little Mikey needs to go home to Mommy, and take a long nap. He will not make a better president than his friend Don the Con does. He is a little ass-kissing toadie. Having all those REAL leaders there must have intimidated tRump. He went golfing, leaving little Mikey to do the heavy lifting. He was not good at it, either. Iwanka was there, did she give a speech, I wonder? With all her expertise at foreign relations, she would be good, right?

[left-of-center2012]

2. "Iwanka was there, did she give a speech"

Maybe she did an infomercial on all her products made using child labor in China.