The EU-UK trade agreement "breaks" at the last moment, "Brexit" is also the beginning

(International observation) The EU-UK trade agreement "breaks" at the last moment, "Brexit" is also the beginning

　　China News Service, Beijing, December 25

　　China News Agency reporter Liu Xu

　　The European Union and the United Kingdom finally "broken the game" on December 24.

At about 4 pm that day, European Commission President Von der Lein and the chief negotiator of the European Union Barnier held a press conference to announce the formal agreement with the United Kingdom for a "Brexit" trade agreement.

At this time, it was only a week before the end of the transitional period for Brexit. The conclusion of the agreement allowed both parties to avoid the chaos that a no-deal Brexit might bring. It also marked a new page in the relationship between the EU and the UK.

On January 29, local time, the European Parliament approved the "Brexit" agreement.

After the vote, the parliamentarians hand in hand sang the classic Scottish song "Friendship is Everlasting", and bid farewell to Britain with this well-known "Farewell Song".

China News Agency issued photos for EU

Agreement "broken" to prevent Europe from falling into double chaos

　　The Wall Street Journal’s commentary on the 25th pointed out at the beginning of the difficult response to another tense phase of the new crown epidemic, this agreement reached a few days before the end of the year deadline, quelling the economic chaos in the UK in the coming weeks His most serious concerns have also put an end to the economic uncertainty and political turmoil in the UK over the years.

The BBC’s news also believes that “the greatest significance of the UK-EU trade agreement is to avoid even greater chaos that may be caused by no agreement during the pandemic.”

　　"The process of Brexit has come to this day, and the driving force for the two parties to reach a compromise has changed from the initial'profit-seeking' to the current'avoidance'." Cui Hongjian, director of the European Institute of the China Institute of International Studies, was interviewed by a reporter from China News Agency. Shi analyzed, “A no-deal Brexit will bring chaos to the existing trade arrangements between the two sides in the short term, especially because of the outbreak in the UK some time ago, some European countries closed the communication channels with the UK, directly affecting personnel and The restrictions on the flow of goods have caused a lot of panic in the UK in the short term. This is actually a preview of the possible scenarios after a no-deal Brexit. This panic is one of the important reasons for the acceleration of the game and the conclusion of an agreement. ."

　　Today, the conclusion of this agreement has brought a touch of certainty to the relationship between the EU and the UK.

According to Zhang Jian, director of the European Institute of the China Institute of Modern International Relations, the EU and the UK can reach an agreement, proving that the two sides have eliminated key obstacles on issues such as fair competition, fishery shares, and compliance supervision. It is a good thing, at least it ensures that the bilateral trade between the EU and the UK can still operate normally, and it will not be greatly affected by the "hard Brexit".

　　Professor Cui Fan of the University of International Business and Economics analyzed the impact of the agreement from Europe and Britain.

He told reporters from China News Agency that in the long run, the conclusion of the agreement will be helpful to the future economic recovery of the UK and the prevention of immigration risks. The EU needs to find the strength of internal unity, especially between France and Germany. May strengthen cooperation, coordinate and handle some issues within the EU, and seek broader development space.

Data map: On August 31, 2019 local time, the Brexit protest march.

　　"The end is also the beginning", the agreement must continue to pass customs

　　At the press conference, European Commission President Von der Lein quoted the British poet Eliot's verse, saying, "The place we call the beginning is often the end, and the end is another beginning."

　　"Agreement does not mean that the Brexit story is over. There are still many problems to be solved in the future." Cui Hongjian analyzed in detail and pointed out that first of all, if the agreement is to be transformed from an administrative level into a law and finally landed, it will have to pass the parliament in the UK. This barrier will also be reviewed by the European Parliament and the parliaments of the member states in the European Union. There will be more games in this process, and twists and turns are inevitable;

　　Secondly, there should still be difficulties in implementing the agreement on issues such as trade in goods, financial services, and fishery disputes.

After all, the hastily reached agreement will inevitably leave loopholes and flaws. There are some detailed rules that need further discussion, and the key is to solve the problem in practice;

　　In addition, there are the effects of changes in the external environment.

"For example, if the United Kingdom and the United States or other economies reach some free trade agreements in the future, public opinion in the United Kingdom may also rebound." In short, "the real world situation in the future will also present new challenges. How to maintain and continue A new relationship in which cooperation but not closeness and competition can still compromise is still the ultimate criterion for testing the integrity of this agreement."

　　Zhang Jian also reminded that no matter from the perspective of the geographical "close neighbor" relationship or the economic interdependence of the two sides, the UK and the EU cannot achieve a true cut. In the future, the two sides must rebuild their bilateral relations and seek in competition. A model of win-win development.

　　As the BBC stated in the news, the new agreement is only a new starting point and a new benchmark for the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union, and more negotiations on many aspects of the relationship between the two sides must have just begun and will be in the next few years or even decades. continue.

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