Without in any implying that we should downplay or even downgrade our strong commitment as an EU member state I personally feel that apart from doing our best to boost our bilateral relations - on both a political and economic level – with all the other EU countries, including applicant countries, we should do what other EU states are doing: that is to pursue as pro actively as possible the quest for strategic alliances
These areas come to mind: the Maghreb in spite of its political turmoil, the Gulf countries, Key giants like the USA and China and the BRIC countries that might sound like a somewhat tall order.
But at this stage it is vital that we should try and get our priorities right rather than locking ourselves into a far too Eurocentric mode.
In to-day’s article I intend to focus primarily on China and the USA although I intend to pick up the other issues at a later stage.
Technocratic Italian Premier Mario Monti has shown the right way forward by emphasising that his country should look towards Asia and the USA with a stronger focus and intensity.
Upon meeting a high ranking delegation led by Premier Wen Jaibao Monti made it clear that not only did Italy look upon China as an important strategic partner but also that they needed to develop new and innovative ways of bilateral and multilateral collaboration together.
The same message was conveyed to the Japanese and S Korean governments – two countries where we need to step up our efforts aggressively.
I must confess that I was recently highly impressed by a well thought out and researched article by Martin Jacques author of the best seller on China : When China rules the world: the end of the western world and the birth of a new global order.
A former Marxist but now well in tune with the challenges, demands and opportunities of globalization, Jacques repeatedly asks why does the West continue to approach the rise of the new global power house that is China with a closed mind. He remarks sarcastically that we might obsess over details of the race for the White House, yet give scant regard to the battle to replace China’s current leadership.
This is far from just a subjective remark. It conveys the real but startling message that if we fail to pay heed to the political and economic shift of gravity, we will ourselves be sidelined by history.
When Jacques published the first edition of his best seller he showed a Goldman Sachs chart that projected that the Chinese economy would overtake the US economy in size by 2027. The latest Economist projection suggests that GS were wrong. Particularly since it is of the opinion that China will do so in 2018!
One might disagree with certain aspects of the Chinese political system, but this should in no way justify a Western centric mentality.
Talking of Britain, Jacques came up with another shocking revelation. That Britain exported more to Ireland than it did to China, India, Russia and Brazil combined.
One positive of the 2008 financial crisis was that the West finally began to realize that China risked overtaking it at a faster rate than predicted.
I have always argued that although the US might have largely shaped globalization, it is now China that is increasingly assuming the lead role in this dynamic and ongoing process.
China is not just an importer of large quantities of natural resources and exporter of massive volumes of manufactured goods, but it has rapidly emerged as a great financial power.
While the renminbi was an unconvertible currency until recently, HSBC have predicted that by 2013-2015 half of China’s trade with the developing world – which constitutes more than half of china’s total trade – will be paid for in renminbi.
What strikes me most whenever I visit China is the optimism and dynamism with which they look ahead. This contrasts very sharply with the pessimism that one is inclined to come across in most European capitals.
In spite of their self confidence there is nevertheless no trace of arrogance in their approach and they can often be self critical in their own ways.
The sole reason why I wax so lyrical about China is that while China can afford to do without us one cannot say the same thing inversely, particularly since it will no doubt shape the global order’s future in the years to come.
The US might not have the same resilience right now as the Chinese economy might do, but as a strategic partner we have so much untapped potential to explore far beyond mere security related co-operation. The areas that come instantly to mind are FDI – as can be seen by the still ongoing inflow of American investment in US friendly Ireland; the areas of research, innovation and creativity together with the higher end of educational collaboration, and also undoubtedly cultural aspects from which we can gain much value added.
I always note with satisfaction that in spite of the geographic distance between our two countries, the US has always been far more understanding, practical and receptive in addressing the immigration problem that we are facing. This is something far more than we can say for our colleagues and friends in the European Union who have so far failed to put their money where their mouth is.
But as in the case of China, I think that in our bilateral relations with the US we need to think outside the box too. While one cannot ignore or downplay the importance of addressing certain security concerns that might be threatening to world peace and security, and also combating any nuclear threats that could be potentially faced in the region, there is another aspect of the US that we still need to rediscover.
And that is that the US can and will eventually bounce back even though it might be an uphill struggle for them all the way.
This might sound over optimistic particularly since it comes at a time when the Americans are carrying out much soul searching, independently of the forthcoming Presidential elections. People like Thomas L Friedman who I have always admired irrespective of whether he may be writing about globalization or the Middle East admit that there was an America that used to be us as well as that America fell behind in the world that it invented. But he also is currently doing what others are doing too. That is drawing up a road map as to how they can come back. And I am not necessarily thinking or talking in military terms. America remains a seat of individual creativity; of technological change and prowess as well as of economic flexibility.
It rewards not only those who succeed but even those who fail. In the sense that the American business culture understands that failure is often the necessary condition for success. Over the years it has rarely failed to meet major challenges and now that any past prejudices have been long pushed aside, I believe that the time is ripe for us to develop our relations on a different level and different plane with a multi faceted dimension.
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Leo Brincat is the Shadow Minister for the Environment, Sustainable Development & Climate Change