China News Service, July 14 According to a report from "Deutsche Welle", on July 15 local time, German Chancellor Merkel will visit the United States and hold talks with U.S. President Biden at the White House.
This will be Merkel's last visit to the United States before the end of her term, and this is likely to be her last important overseas visit.
This visit is one of Merkel's few visits since the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic.
In this visit, in addition to the two countries' efforts to strengthen transatlantic relations, Merkel and Biden are likely to discuss the continuing risks and consequences of the new crown.
According to sources in the US government, they will also discuss the threat of climate change and the promotion of economic prosperity and international security based on their common democratic values.
Data map: German Chancellor Merkel.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Peng Dawei
The European and American contradictions surrounding the epidemic
The entry restrictions imposed by the United States on EU citizens have not been lifted since it took effect in March 2020.
Although the European Union has lifted the entry restrictions for American citizens from the new crown epidemic in June 2021, the Biden administration seems to have no move to implement reciprocal measures in the short term.
The U.S. entry restrictions have not only blocked the reunion of many trans-Atlantic families and lovers, but also affected the dispatch of employees of many European companies doing business in the U.S.
Therefore, the European Union has some expectations for Merkel's visit to the United States, hoping that she can use the opportunity of her last visit to the United States before retirement to persuade Biden to relax entry restrictions.
Another major European and American contradiction surrounding the new crown epidemic is the issue of vaccine patent rights.
In May, the Biden government announced in a high profile that it supported the temporary freezing of patent protection for the new crown vaccine.
The White House stated that freezing patents will help as many people as possible vaccinate as quickly as possible on a global scale.
However, the German government expressed firm opposition.
Merkel said that freezing vaccine patents is "a wrong path." A more effective approach should be to expand production capacity based on patent authorization.
At present, all parties are negotiating on the patent protection of the new crown vaccine under the framework of the WTO.
The German and American officials did not disclose whether the leaders of the two countries will specifically discuss this thorny issue during the meeting.
However, some NGOs have announced that they will hold demonstrations during Merkel's visit to Washington to protest the German government's position.
Data map: US President Biden.
Natural gas pipeline and tariff issues that are gradually quelling
In contrast, the Beixi No. 2 natural gas pipeline, which was raging during the Trump era, has much less friction today.
In May 2021, the United States has announced that it will give up sanctions on Beixi No. 2 operating company, but at the same time it also requires the German government to make a commitment to ensure Ukraine's natural gas transfer hub after the pipeline directly connecting Russia and Germany is put into operation. status.
At present, Germany and the United States are striving to reach a concrete solution before August, and the possibility that Merkel and Biden announced a consensus during their meeting has not ruled out.
The punitive tariff issue that caused serious tensions in the relationship between Europe and the United States during the Trump era has also been significantly eased recently.
During Biden’s visit to Europe in June, the European and American sides jointly announced that they would shelve the dispute over subsidies for Airbus and Boeing since 2004, and that the "truce period" will be temporarily set at 5 years, so as to buy time for the two sides to reach a longer-term agreement. .
However, the punitive tariffs imposed by the United States on EU steel and aluminum products during the Trump era, and the EU's retaliatory tariffs on American whiskey, jeans, juice, and Harley motorcycles have not yet been cancelled.
During Biden's visit to Europe in June, the United States and the United States agreed to set up a joint working group, but it will take a lot of time before the problem is completely resolved.