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EU Envoy Pins Trade Progress With US to Geostrategic Concerns

Natalie Liu

   WASHINGTON - European diplomats are sounding an upbeat note about
   coming trade talks with the United States, seemingly unfazed by
   President Donald Trump's tough talk and tariff threats aimed at
   securing new concessions from the European Union.

   "When we fight, we make headlines," said Stavros Lambrinidis, head of
   the EU delegation in the United States, at a reception at his
   Washington residence last week. "But when we work together, we make
   history."

   Trump set an ominous tone for the negotiations, which the Americans
   hope to conclude this year, during his Jan. 21 appearance at the World
   Economic Forum in Davos. Noting a hard-won trade deal that settled only
   some of his country's trade issues with Beijing, Trump suggested it
   will be even "more difficult to do business [with the EU] than China."

   In his public remarks on the issue, Trump has focused on traditional
   areas of trade, including agriculture and automobiles, with repeated
   threats to boost tariffs on European vehicles.

   But the Europeans appear to likely to try to convince the Americans
   that the key to progress for the two traditional allies lies in closer
   cooperation in areas of high tech and cybersecurity.

   At his reception, Lambrinidis said there is "no question" the
   development of Artificial Intelligence will change the world as we know
   it. But he said the Western democracies should work together to develop
   the technology in ways that ensure it cannot be used for authoritarian
   purposes, as China is doing to control the Muslim Uighurs in its
   Xinjiang province."

   Will Americans and Europeans get together and work on that, or will we
   miss the opportunity?" he asked.

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