Trump calls Germany is 'very bad' for the U.S.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s America first policy, saying, “We have to fight for our own future and destiny as Europeans.” She is aggressively trying to reach out not only to China but also to India. India and China can be new candidates that Germany wants to engage with as a new ally. Interestingly, India and China have been in tit-for-tat relations.

According to the Washington Post’s article on Wednesday about the presidential summit between Germany and India on Tuesday, Merkel, who is seeking new allies besides the U.S., met with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and showed their friendship. Merkel told reporters on the same day, saying, “Europe needs to find new allies and the times in which we could completely depend on others are on the way out.”

“We are meant for each other,” Modi told Merkel with a smile, drawing the attention. “The pace of development of our relations is fast, direction positive and destination clear. Germany will always find India as a powerful, prepared and capable partner,” Modi said. “Whether it be bilateral relations, humanitarian issues, or regional or global issues, every discussion with the chancellor has been very beneficial for me.”

“India wants the world not just to be interconnected but also that it should be sensibly run,” Merkel said, welcoming a free trade deal discussion between the European Union and India. Both leaders discussed the Paris Agreement, which Trump is trying to withdraw the U.S. from. Merkel is one of the strongest champions for the Paris Agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Modi has made his pledge to produce more than half of the world’s solar power generation by 2022. In response, Merkel said she was interested in it.

Wan-Jun Yun zeitung@donga.com