The 61st Munich Security Conference (MSC) kicked off on February 14 (local time), bringing together policymakers and experts to discuss pressing global security challenges amid the accelerating rise of multipolarity and a complex geopolitical landscape.
J.D. Vance, Vice President of the United States, delivered a speech on the first day of the MSC, criticizing that Europe is retreating from some of the most fundamental values shared with the United States.
On Feb. 12, U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to impose a 25-percent tariff on steel and aluminum imports upon entering the United States, regardless of their country of origin, including the European Union, was highlighted.
"The tariff war and the attacks on international trade are very damaging to Europe," said Manuel Muñiz, Provost of IE University, as well as former State Secretary of the Spanish Foreign Ministry, in an exclusive interview with GDToday during the MSC.
In his opinion, the U.S. seems to be pulling itself from the international system, but China is defending multilateralism. He stressed that if Trump's administration continues to retreat from the international system, the world will become more unsafe and affect the weaker states.
"In many cases, China was portrayed as an outsider, a spoiler, or a revisionist power, but it has been defending the international system," said Muñiz.
He stated that the uni-polar moment has ended and global south countries will play an important role in the international system.
Muñiz hoped that both China and the U.S. can find a way to manage their relationship. "It is difficult to reach an agreement on climate, energy, and migration if China and the U.S. cannot sit down and negotiate."
Liu Xiaodi and Deng Yingheng reported from Munich, Germany.
Script: Liu Xiaodi, Yuan Zixiang
Cameraman: Deng Yingheng
Video editing: Guo Hongda
Editor: Huang Qini, Shen He
