Olaf Scholz hugs China close—but ‘Germany first’ policy risks U.S. and EU wrath
As messages for Germany’s new Chancellor poured in last month, seasoned diplomats were not surprised to find China among the first to offer its congratulations.
Just minutes after Olaf Scholz succeeded Angela Merkel, Chinese president Xi Jinping was hailing the “great importance” of his country’s bilateral relationship with Berlin.
The statement - issued faster than similar greetings to other western leaders - urged Scholz to continue the so-called “win-win” approach favoured by his predecessor.
This style of diplomacy has reaped huge dividends for German businesses such as Volkswagen, BMW and chemicals giant BASF, allowing China to become their country’s biggest trading partner with €213bn (£179bn) worth of annual imports and exports.
But critics say it amounts to little more than “Germany first” - turning a blind eye to Beijing’s grave human rights abuses, as well as concerning events in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
It is also becoming harder to sustain as president Xi becomes more assertive on the global stage and the US pushes for a tougher, more united response from the West.
To see Europe compromise so shamefully by making this deal with China may seem surprising. But this is actually the kind of development we should expect to see more and more of, if we understand Bible prophecy.
Around 2,700 years ago, the Prophet Isaiah discussed an immensely powerful multinational trade alliance that would develop in our time. And he listed who its main members would be.
In Isaiah 23:1, he names one of them as “Chittim.” Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry writes, “Kittim is synonymous with the Chittim of Isaiah’s prophecy. … After their migration through Central Asia, the Kittim made their appearance in modern-day northeastern China and Mongolia …” (Isaiah’s End-Time Vision). So this name indicates modern China.
Isaiah’s prophecy goes on to say that “Tyre” will also be a major player in this trade bloc. Mr. Flurry explains what this name signifies: “The spiritual center of the [modern European] Holy Roman Empire is called Babylon in your Bible (Revelation 17:5; 18:1-3). But here in Isaiah, the Bible refers to Tyre (and its allies Zidon, etc) as the commercial center of this European power ….”
In light of these prophecies, we should not be surprised to see Europe willing to ignore China’s blood-curdling human rights abuses and illegal trade practices. We should actually expect these now-strengthening ties to grow stronger. And even as China becomes more powerful, aggressive and malicious, we should expect Europe to increasingly side with Beijing—and against America.
