[dx034]

For the EU it's really just the question if you want to be spied on by the US or by China. In recent years, trade with China has probably helped the economy much more than trade with the US. At the same time, China (while certainly acting out of self interest), is somewhat predictable in their actions.

Europeans are really critical of China and their policies (esp. their human rights record). But they don't like the US that much more (apart from the Brits) and with a struggling economy you really don't want to make them choose between money and ideology.

[mantas]

As a european, I'll take US over China any day.

Anti-US circlejerk is mostly confined in Western europe (sans Brits). Eastern europe has totally different sentiment.

[hollerith]

>China, is somewhat predictable in their actions

Yeah, wow, it must be completely impossible for someone without decades of US residency or decades of intense interest in the US to understand the US government!

I like to flatter myself that after 58 years of living in the US, I have recently started to be able to predict most of the major decisions of the US government. (Youtube videos of speeches and interviews by Peter Zeihan and George Friedman helped me in my understanding. Most of the senior editors and reporters at, e.g., the New York Times and the Washington Post, although passionately interested in the US government, have only a shallow understanding of it IMO.)

[slantaclaus]

Correct me if I’m wrong but if you get an Apple phone you’ll be spied on by no one. Relatively speaking, of course.