Source: Global Information Broadcasting
The information is not boring, in fact, it is very chatty. Today, I will talk to you about two news, and when you look at them together, you can see a lot of ways.
The United States said, Spain, you can do this!
Recently, the Red Sea has not been very peaceful due to the spillover effects of a new round of large-scale Palestinian-Israeli conflicts. As a result, US Secretary of Defense Austin announced in a high-profile manner a few days ago (December 19) that he would set up a Red Sea escort operation, and also named the countries participating in the operation, including Spain.
The Associated Press reports that the Pentagon announced the formation of a Red Sea escort operation.
But when the Spanish media looked at it, it was not right, why didn't our own government release it? On the other hand, the Spanish government was also surprised and uneasy. The United States is doing this, and this is a storm that has trapped the Spanish government in domestic public opinion.
In response to questions from the media, a spokesman for the Spanish Ministry of Defense made a statement that neither side was offended, saying that Spain had not yet made a decision on participating in the Red Sea escort operation organized by the United States. Any participation of Spain is not unilateral, but takes place within the framework of NATO or the European Union.
The US "Defense News" website published the response of the Spanish Ministry of Defense to this
The United States said, you can't do this in Portugal!
Let's take a look at the second article, Portuguese media recently reported that the Portuguese government's consideration of purchasing scanning equipment from Chinese companies for the Port of Lisbon, Sarah Morgenthau, the special representative of the US government for trade and commerce, actually put pressure and warning in Lisbon. The warning is still a smear of the old trope, claiming that buying technology from Chinese companies could pose a so-called "national security risk".
Portugal's Palazzo website reported that "the United States opposes the use of Chinese scanning equipment in the Port of Lisbon"
Moreover, Morgenthau also threatened and enticed that the Port of Lisbon "must guarantee" that suppliers of scanning equipment will not come from countries such as China, Russia and Iran. In this regard, the Portuguese media is very clear about the implication that if the "warning" of the United States is not heeded, the port of Lisbon may lose the "safe harbor" certification of the United States, which will directly affect the Portuguese economy.
Can or can't, American endorsement?
In these two pieces of news, the United States treats Spain and Portugal, two neighbors, one saying that Spain "can participate in the Red Sea escort organized by me"; the other is saying that Portugal "you can't buy equipment from Chinese companies."
Whether this can or can't be is what the Americans are saying. But don't forget, Spain and Portugal are both sovereign countries, and military operations and equipment procurement are all matters within the sovereignty of other countries.
In fact, it can be seen from these two pieces of news that whether it is "able" or "cannot," what the United States cares about is never the sovereignty and will of other countries, but its own interests. Many contradictions and conflicts and trade disputes in the world stem precisely from the fact that some countries seek their own absolute security and best interests at the expense of others and themselves, ignoring the legitimate concerns of other countries for their survival and development.
The year 2023 is about to pass, and the new year is coming, if we want the world family to be peaceful, stable, and prosperous, it is better to have less "American-style endorsements" and fanning the flames, and more mutual respect and win-win cooperation. (Reporter Wang Kunpeng)
(Source: Global Information Broadcasting)