Munich, Germany - Recent The three-day 61st Munich Security Conference (MSC), which kicked off on Friday, has highlighted the contrasting views from parties on regional conflicts and international security, even as the annual conference sought to promote peace through dialogue. Since the new U.S. administration took office, transatlantic relations have undergone subtle yet significant shifts. As German media put it, "The transatlantic clock is no longer synchronized." Meanwhile Europe has been caught in an unprecedented internal conflict regarding its security and diplomatic policies. Outgoing MSC Chairman Christoph Heusgen stressed in the closing remarks of the conference on Sunday, "Europe is not 'nice to have'. Europe is a must have." He urged European nations to come to the table with concrete proposals and financial commitments to secure their place in the evolving global landscape. MSC attendees noted that while Europe and the U.S. acknowledge the increasingly complex and challenging global security environment, their visions for the future diverge significantly. The U.S. has prioritized its own interests and immediate returns in dealing with foreign affairs, whereas Europe struggles to reconcile between upholding multilateralism and adapting to new geopolitical realities. Released prior to the conference, the Munich Security Report 2025 focuses on multipolarization, a global trend that has underscored one of the most significant shifts in international relations in recent years. On one side, Europe has acknowledged the world's transition toward a multipolar order, but it has struggled to formulate an effective response and still attempted to preserve its traditional influence. On the other, the U.S. has perceived multipolarization as a direct challenge to its global hegemony and has adopted more confrontational strategies in response. Against the backdrop of multipolarization, the statements made by the Chinese delegation garnered significant attention. The remarks made by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the conference on Friday that "China will surely be a factor of certainty in this multipolar system, and strive to be a steadfast constructive force in a changing world" was widely interpreted as a positive response to the trend of multipolarization. This year's MSC has emphasized the unprecedented challenges facing traditional security frameworks and international relations models as the rise of multipolarization reshapes the global balance of power and accelerates the restructuring of the global governance system. Finding common ground and pursuing win-win cooperation has been a crucial task for the international community. While the tide of multipolarization is irreversible, the path forward remains to be determined by the decisions and wisdom of all parties involved. Shotlist: Munich, Germany - Recent: 1. Various of Munich Security Conference (MSC) venue; flags; media; 2. SOUNDBITE (German) Thomas Fasbender, geopolitical editor-in-chief, Berliner Zeitung (partially overlaid with shot 3): "The Americans are now confronting us with reality through a nakedly transactional policy. Trump-style policies are strongly impacting Europe. Europe must readjust, redefine itself, and find its position. This clearly points to the so-called 'strategic autonomy', but on this point, the 27 European Union member states and the over 30 North Atlantic Treaty Organization member states have hugely different opinions."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 3. Fasbender in interview; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Washington D.C., USA - October 2024 4. White House; 5. Various of Capitol building; national flag of U.S.; FILE: Brussels, Belgium - June 27, 2024 6. Various of European Union (EU) flags; Munich, Germany - Recent 7. MSC venue; flags; 8. Traffic; sign reading "Building Bridges since 1963"; 9. SOUNDBITE (English) Tomoyuki Yoshida, chief executive director, Japan Institute of International Affairs (ending with shot 10): "We are witnessing the transformation of the global landscape of year three (since the Russia-Ukraine conflict overturned the European security order), the rise of the global South countries and a little bit of the decline of the other advanced economies. And so, multipolarization is one of the focal points that we needed to discuss further. And China is going to take a very important role."; FILE: Beijing, China - Date Unknown 10. Chinese emblem; national flag of China, other flags; Munich, Germany - Recent 11. Various of MSC venue; flags; traffic. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]