[Circle depth] Brussels, from the "European capital" to "NATO home"?

[Global Times Special Reporter Ren Yan Global Times reporter Wu Yun] "Welcome to Brussels, NATO's home." In the near future, at the huge image exhibition sign at the Belgian capital Brussels Airport, such welcome words have been written. On the exhibition sign, the 2/3 picture is the NATO headquarters building. In addition to the very eye -catching large characters above the building, there is a small line of small characters- "work for the peace, safety and freedom of nearly 1 billion people." And those who work, live, or visit the EU headquarters in Brussels feel that this exhibition sign conveys different information from the past -before the Russian -Ukuro conflict, Brussels played "European Capital" and "European Center". City business card. Coincidentally, Hungary, which has joined the EU for almost 20 years -the prime minister of the Eastern European country Olban showed dissatisfaction with the EU on social media in early August. It is not Brucel, but in the capital of various member states. " The European Union was a model of regional integration. Now why Brussels is so thick and only emphasizes that they are the "NATO headquarters". Some member states of the European Union have also begun to avoid talking about Brussels as the "fundamental to the European Union"?

Brussels Tumen Visual China

"NATO wants to occupy the C position of Brussels"

In early July, the reporter of the Global Times noticed that in the exhibition sign at Brussels Airport, the lower left corner of the headquarters building wrote "We are NATO", followed by a string of social media icons. There are 4 flat -flat Brucel landmark buildings or famous attractions on the screen on the right side of the building. Hall building, atomic ball tower. In response to the NATO logo in the upper left corner of the display sign, the atomic ball tower is hung with a flag printed with the NATO logo. NATO flag.

The Global Times reporter has been working at Brussels for 8 years, and is the first time to see such a city image display at the airport. A local friend of Brussels said: "I don't know that the image of this city comes from the Brussels City Government or from NATO headquarters. But I think this creativity is not very good. The marginalization of Brussels landmark building and applying it into a dark blue representing the Atlantic Ocean makes people feel cold back. "Belgian historian Hendrik Verpi and reporters talked about this display card. He said: "NATO headquarters was originally located in the edge area of ​​Brussels, and it was not a landmark building. This is really upside down, so funny. "He believes that this is a dangerous signal to the world, which is seriously inconsistent with the excellent tradition of peace with peace love. According to his observations, after the outbreak of the Russian -Ukraine conflict, the billboard seemed to have the strong meaning of Ukraine and Europeans, indicating that "NATO still exists, and the headquarters is in Brussels." Wmirch also said: "In fact, this is the sense of swiping, and NATO feels increasingly feeling his own crisis."

Some public materials show that Brussels is 162 square kilometers, with a population of 1.218 million in the capital area, of which 85 % of the residents speak French, 15 % speak Dutch, and foreigners account for about 1/3 of the city's population. Such a "small city" is the location of the EU and NATO headquarters, or the location of the World Customs Organization Headquarters. In the eyes of outsiders, the European Union and NATO are regarded as international organizations, but the "Brussels Guide" website founded by the "Brussels Regional Information Center" (BRIC) has classified the EU as "European Institution" and attributed NATO as "international institutions" to the world Customs organizations are tied.

Because the EU headquarters is located in Brussels, locals are more willing to call the city they live in the "European capital". The EU is a regional international organization created for peaceful development and is committed to European integration. Most of the Belgian people are proud of working at the EU headquarters, not only because of salary, but also because of their wkquets, but also because of its high social status. The reporter has a Belgian friend to work in the EU headquarters. She said that it was not easy to get this job at first. It not only needed a high degree of education in prestigious schools, but also needs to master a variety of languages, solid professional knowledge and good communication skills. Most of the positions of the EU headquarters are set up for European solidarity, harmony, and development. Therefore, such a work is very meaningful and has been respected by the society.

Those who go to Brussels to visit or travel now will go to the "European Area" near Schumann Square, where the EU's main office institutions are gathered here. The EU headquarters is located in the center of Brussels. Several large buildings are very modern and have a clear contrast to the traditional buildings in the old town. EU headquarters holds the "EU Day" in early May of each year. Through colorful interactive activities, the local people promote the operating mechanism of the EU institutions. And the city's most international business card.

Compared with the popularity of EU headquarters, NATO headquarters is far worse. NATO headquarters is located in the eastern suburbs of Brussels. Many locals do not know what the huge building complex is doing. Foreign tourists are even too lazy to run so far to visit. Several crisis exposes EU governance defects

Brussels did witnes the development and changes of the European Union and NATO. After World War II, many European countries chose to embark on the road of integration, and the EU integration evolution trajectory profoundly affected the new development of the ancient city of Brussels. Brussels became the "capital" of the EU is the product of compromise and the result of Brucel's active fight. In April 1951, after France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, and West Germany founded the European coal and steel community, the initially selected temporary office site was placed in Luxembourg, the capital of Luxembourg. In March 1957, after the Six countries' foreign ministers signed two treaties to establish a European economic community and the European atomic community, the Belgian government not only actively applied for Brucel as the headquarters option, but also carried out large -scale urban transformation. Thanks to the unique geographical location of Brussels (blooming with Domadu), cultural traditions, living conditions and other factors, the two organizations eventually set the office location in Brussels. In 1965, the six countries signed the "Brussels Treaty". After the "three -in -one" European economic community, the European economic community decided to determine the headquarters in Brussels. On November 1, 1993, the "Mastricht Treaty" officially took effect. After the European Union was officially established, the EU also made a decision on the office of each institution and wrote it to the 1997 Amsterdam Treaty. The office of the European Commission and the EU Council was in Brussels. The European Parliament will be held in Strasbourg and Brussels in France (holding a plenary in Strasbourg).

Unlike the European Union, NATO, founded in 1949, moved his headquarters from France to Brussels between the hurry. In the 1960s, the contradiction between France and the United States prominent. In 1966, France led by Dai Gaulle withdrawn from NATO integration military organization and drove the NATO military headquarters -European Allied Command out of France, forcing NATO to re -find a new settlement point for its military headquarters. After NATO's military headquarters "moved to the most suitable place" in Belgium, it moved the highest political decision -making agency, the North Atlantic Council to Belgium, and eventually the political headquarters was located in Brussels and the military headquarters was in Monce. When the NATO headquarters moved, one of the difficulties encountered was that many NATO officials working in Paris were unwilling to go to Brussels, mainly because the salary of working in Brussels was less than in Paris.

The development of the international situation and the evolution of the two international organizations have affected their "news exposure" in the world. In the past few years after the dissolution of Huayo and the Soviet Union disintegrated, it corresponds to the rise in the influence of the EU and the decline in NATO. Ten years after the end of the Cold War, the international situation eased significantly. The in -depth development of the European Union and the relative silence of NATO have closely related to the European situation. At the beginning of this century, the EU's internal active abnormalities, the heads of state or government summit, the European council and the European Union Council meeting were dazzling. The European Commission held a press conference every day at noon. The emails received by reporters from various countries cannot see it every day. On the eve of the start of the euro (opened on January 1, 2002), at the celebration organized by Brussels, people were passionate. A projected deer ran happily, symbolizing that the EU integration would continue to deepen.

During this period, on the other hand, the "news exposure" was mainly concentrated in the eastward expansion and frequently launched war on the sovereign state after the Cold War. From 1999 to 2020, the post -expansion of about 5 times in NATO increased from 16 to 30. From 1995 to 2013, the European Union also experienced four expansion, and member states increased from 12 to 28. From the debt crisis in 2009 to the refugee crisis, from the Brexit "Brexit" to the current epidemic crisis, the EU's governance defects have been exposed to varying degrees.

"Is the European Union after the signing of the" Mastricht Treaty "?" This is a question raised by many international media when the EU countries commemorative treaty signed the 30th anniversary in February this year. The country began the 'Anti -European Movement' "," The EU level lacks a mechanism to respond to debt crisis "," Britain has withdrawn from this club, and other countries are likely to follow suit. " Russia, the EU countries are worried about the intensification of energy crisis. "

"An unknown and unprovable EU"

Brussels's display cards are easily reminiscent of the EU summits, the Leaders of the Seventh -way Group in Belgium, Germany and Spain at the end of June, and NATO Summit in Belgium, Germany and Spain. The Wall Street Journal invested in the three summits that this reflects three aspects of Western policy: the EU is a political aspect, the Seven Kingdoms Group is an economic aspect, and NATO is military.

In early July, Miao Lu, Secretary -General of the Global Think Tank (CCG), ended in a survey in the United States and went to Belgium, and also noticed the new exhibition sign at Brussels Airport. She told the Global Times reporter: "I remember when I came to Brussels before, I often saw the exhibition signs such as 'welcome to the European Union' and 'Brussels, European Hearts', but this time the airport was displayed. When I arrived at Brussels, NATO's home '. This makes us worry about the status quo of the European Union. "Miao Lu said that in the then 10 -day European survey, you can feel that Brussels highlights the" NATO House "at this time and dilutes the" European capital ". It is deeply meaningful. The locals told her not only because NATO headport was not far from the airport, but more important reason was that a real war was happening in eastern Europe. In the hotels where the global think tank delegation stays, the French who are usually used to hold auction and fundraising for children who suffer from the Ukrainian war, which means that even in Western Europe, there is a mood of war rendering. According to Miao Lu, in the exchanges with many politics and academic circles in the EU, the other party rarely mentioned the concept of "strategic autonomy". Therefore, the voice of "holding a group through NATO" continued to rise.

Pascar Bonifas, director of the French Institute of International Relations and Strategy, recently wrote that NATO is no longer in a state of "brain death", but a recovery. It has never been as strong as today. When Europeans are asking the United States When people stay in Europe and increase their strength, it is the European strategy "brain death". Jashan Davidson, a senior researcher at the Atlantic Council, also believes that with the convening of the NATO Madrid Summit, a fact of European security has become more and more obvious: NATO seems to be the only feasible guarantee for European countries' security. In the context, the EU's goal of achieving strategic autonomy is unlikely to become a reality in the short term. Davidson wrote in the two -monthly magazine of the "National Interest" in the United States: "The Russian and Ukraine conflict made more Europeans realize that if they bet their own defense on an unknown and unlike EU, they may be attacked The loss of territory is even conquered. "He believes that, given that the European Union's strategy is unique and the United States' continuous interest and participation in Europe's security, NATO will still be a important security mechanism in Europe.

The conflict of Ukraine has been upgraded to the "European Safety Water Valley", and European countries attach importance to security more than any period after the end of the Cold War. In this context, Brussels hangs out a display sign that "Welcome to Brussels, NATO's Home", and it is not surprising to dilute the "European capital" business card. But no matter what, for the city of Brussels, there is only one office building in NATO, but there are more than one EU institution office building in its "Europe".

Miao Lu also told the Global Times reporter that the experience of investigating in Europe is that in terms of policy on China, despite the wrong understanding of China's position in Russia and Ukraine's conflict, Europe's policies are relatively pragmatic than the United States. The European Union's negative emotions in China have risen, but it is far from reaching the degree of the United States, and Europe and China still have a lot of room for cooperation in the economic field. Some EU think tank experts said that although the documents in NATO and the European Union call China as "systemic challenges" and "systemic opponents", it is different from the United States as "the most important strategic competitors" as China. Some EU think tank experts said that the "strategic concept" document issued by the NATO summit was "tough" in China, but it did not get some support from both NATO and EU member states. French scholar Boninfas also suggested in the article that European countries should not worry too much about "Chinese threats". It is best to determine their own interests when dealing with China. I have partial.

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