MSC: Can China replace US as world leader?

US Vice President JD Vance's information astatine this year's Munich Security Conference drew a batch of attraction and planetary focus, peculiarly from European leaders.

US President Donald Trump's instrumentality to the White House has made the leaders of the EU countries rather nervous, and the feeling of uncertainty was rather palpable astatine the conference. Therefore, each eyes were focused connected Vance arsenic to however helium would allay those concerns.

If anything, Vance's Munich Security Conference code connected Friday only made matters worse. His crisp disapproval of Europe irked galore participants, with German Defense Pistorius calling his remarks "unacceptable." His comments on the Russia-Ukraine war prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to suggest that the "decades-old narration betwixt Europe and America is present ending."

Meanwhile Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who besides spoke astatine the Munich Security Conference, utilized a much accommodating and reconciliatory code to code Europeans. He said that his state sees Europe arsenic a partner, not a rival, and offered to play a "constructive role" successful the Ukraine-Russia bid talks.

Wang Yi told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz China was consenting to deepen "all-round cooperation" with Germany arsenic portion of affirmative bilateral efforts to support planetary bid and stability.

An accidental for China

While the US nether Trump increasingly looks inwards, withdrawing from planetary forums and treaties and threatening to discontinue NATO, China is appearing to beryllium getting much progressive successful planetary affairs.

Does this mean that Beijing could regenerate Washington arsenic the planetary arbiter?

"There is nary question successful my presumption that arsenic a rising power, China wants to beryllium each it tin be," Graham Allison, prof of authorities astatine Harvard University and China expert, told DW connected the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. "If the US withdraws from commercialized agreements, countries that privation commercialized agreements successful bid to turn economically, for lawsuit China, would capable this vacuum," helium added.

Allison underlined that if Trump keeps leaving planetary institutions, "China volition beryllium a champion. Chinese President Xi Jinping has noticed that determination is simply a batch of accidental retired there, and if the US plays its manus badly, it makes easier for Beijing to beryllium successful."

China has been investing heavy successful galore parts of the world, including Asia and Africa, which has accrued its clout successful these regions successful the past decades. Be it Afghanistan oregon the Middle East, Chinese has utilized its power to mediate conflicts there.

Can Europe and China travel person together?

Yao Yang, director of the China Center for Economic Research astatine Peking University, told DW that Europe needs to follow an autarkic argumentation towards China, should it want to forge person ties.

"If the US [under Trump] wants to springiness much precedence to its home issues, past Europe should bash the same," Yao said. "It should bash truthful it for its defense, for its security, and for its overseas policy. There is simply a immense abstraction for China and Europe to collaborate on."

But China's adjacent narration with Russia could beryllium a hindrance successful this regard. Beijing precocious welcomed Trump's determination to scope retired to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to extremity the warfare successful Ukraine and said it was consenting to play its role.

"China wants to contiguous itself arsenic a peacemaker, that it is not successful favour of wars, and that it wants to beryllium progressive successful ending wars," according to Allison.

Yao believes that ending Russia's warfare successful Ukraine is successful China's economical interest. "China trades with some Russia and Ukraine. So Beijing would decidedly privation to propulsion for bid successful that region," helium underlined

But for Europe to spot China, it would be important that Xi won't enactment a woody that goes against its ain interests.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi tried to guarantee European leaders successful Munich that it tin beryllium trusted, and that bid tin beryllium achieved successful Ukraine if each stakeholders enactment successful negotiations.

Edited by: Cathrin Schaer, Wesley Dockery