appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Wendy Wu

China and the European Union are at a critical juncture to restore political trust in response to the looming uncertainties that are expected to accompany the strong comeback of Donald Trump as US president, Chinese diplomats and experts said.
The Chinese foreign ministry’s deputy head in charge of European affairs Cao Lei said on Saturday that Trump’s election victory may indicate “the turning point of [our] times” and urged Brussels and Beijing to fix rifts and improve ties.
“No one wants to return to the law of the jungle, no one wants to go back to the era of confrontation and the Cold War, and no one wants to return to unilateral hegemony. This is the backdrop that China-EU relations are facing,” he said.
Cao was speaking at the launch of Beijing Foreign Studies University’s China Think-Tank Network on Europe, which aims to foster renewed understanding between the two sides.
Already challenged by their respective domestic economic difficulties, both China and the EU are facing the prospect of higher tariffs in the second Trump administration, which is expected to press ahead with more aggressive “America first” policies.
China is bracing for headwinds from the US in the coming years, while Europe is watching closely for what policy changes may be in store – especially on defence and the war in Ukraine – while striking a new balance of power in transatlantic relations.
Speaking at the same event, Feng Zhongping, head of European studies with the government-affiliated Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that Europe matters more for China than the US and both sides should be able to restore policy trust.
“With Trump returning to the White House, an enhanced China-Europe cooperation will be beneficial for both sides to address [challenges] at the onset of a new era of uncertainties in the world,” he said.
But analysts have also warned that Brussels may respond to the challenges of Trump’s second term by playing the China card and exerting pressure on Beijing in exchange for a closer alliance with Washington.


Tensions between China and the EU have deepened in recent years over issues ranging from the economy to ideological differences and perceived security risks, especially since the rift sparked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The EU has listed China as a systemic rival and economic competitor, moved to cut its reliance on a China-centric supply chain, and become more vocal and assertive over human rights, the South China Sea territorial disputes and the issue of Taiwan.
Bilateral relations were further disrupted when Brussels imposed punitive tariffs on electric vehicles made in China, a move blasted by Beijing as protectionist.
Despite these growing conflicts, Beijing has repeatedly described the bloc as one of its most important partners in maintaining multilateralism and countering deglobalisation.
Beijing also continues to underscore the close economic relationship – with bilateral trade reaching €2 billion (US$2.1 billion) each day – and the EU’s important role as the major tech exporter to China.
“China firmly supports European integration, but does not wish the EU to become a fortress of self-enclosed protectionism,” Cao from the foreign ministry told the gathering on Saturday.
“China supports the bloc’s strategic autonomy, but does not wish for it to decouple nor engage in geopolitical competition. China supports Europe in playing a greater role in international affairs, but does not wish to see it pick a side and provoke bloc confrontation,” he added.
According to a report released at the event, there is a deep underlying mismatch between China and the 27-member bloc, in terms of their perceptions of each other on issues ranging from economic relations to security matters.


The report said the rapid changes that have unfolded in China have constantly “exceeded Europe’s cognitive boundaries, challenged its historical experiences, and defied its political anticipations”.
The range of public opinions in Europe reveal a complex mindset that is uncomfortable with changes in global politics, including China’s rise, as well as worries about the difficulty of exerting influence, according to the report.
“[This] has become a psychological barrier that China and Europe must work together to overcome,” it said.
When it comes to tensions between Brussels and Beijing, Cao observed that “the key factor is perception”.
“The EU’s positioning toward China is continuously tilting toward competition and adversary, with some claiming that China is a security threat. This is a problem that must be taken seriously,” he said.
The report’s lead author Cui Hongjian, head of European Union studies at the university, said both sides were facing “risks, losses and challenges led by drastic changes in geopolitics”.
“A world that becomes increasingly ‘geopolitical’ and even falls into bloc confrontation does not align with our interests,” he said.
Both sides should innovate dialogue mechanisms to have substantial talks in balancing security and development, Cui said in the report.
They should also intensify exchanges on Ukraine and the Middle East conflicts, while refraining from abusing security in seeking cooperation in new sectors, he added.


Hong Kong rejects EU report’s claims on freedoms as ‘unfounded and biased’

China seeks German help to stave off EU trade sanctions days before Xi-Trump summit

A shift by China towards service-based economy could help trade imbalance: EU group

Former WTO head Pascal Lamy on the EU’s China choice: get a rebalance, or go protectionist

China-EU relations

China, Europe should ‘fix rifts’ or risk return to ‘law of the jungle’ under Trump: diplomat

US president-elect Donald Trump with his family onstage after his election victory. Photo: Reuters

World waits to see how Trump reshapes US approach to trade, China and security

Donald Trump at a post-election rally in Florida. Photo: Reuters

Trump, shown with Xi Jinping in 2019, has threatened 60 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports. Photo: AP

Republicans, who have already won control of the Senate, appear on course to take over the US House as well. Photo: Getty Images/ TNS

Europe seeks ‘normal, fair’ China trade ties in wake of Trump win: EU envoy Jorge Toledo

The European Union aims to push ahead with talks with China “until we find a mutually agreeable solution” to trade frictions, according to the bloc’s ambassador to Beijing. Photo: AP 

Jorge Toledo, EU ambassador to China, says the bloc “played by the rules” in imposing tariffs on Chinese-made EVs. Photo: Handout

EU has wish list for Trump, but support for his tough China agenda will be expected

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban meets Donald Trump at Trump’s home in Florida on July 11. Photo: X via Reuters

Ursula von der Leyen is president of the EU Commission. Photo: EPA-EFE

The political coalition of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is on the verge of collapse. Photo: Reuters

Xi’s message to Trump sets tone for geopolitical rematch between powerful leaders

US president-elect Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are no strangers, having met four times during the former’s first term in the White House. Photo: TNS

‘Disaster’: Trump’s political comeback stirs fresh anxiety in Europe, Ukraine

Donald Trump’s US election win resulted in a wide range of reactions from world leaders and diplomats. Trump is seen with Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg in December 2019. Photo: AP

Cars drive past a large billboard congratulating US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at a traffic junction in Israel’s coastal city of Tel Aviv on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

News

China

Diplomacy

Diplomats and experts urge Brussels and Beijing to prepare for global turning point by healing differences and improving ties


Diplomats and experts urge Brussels and Beijing to prepare for global turning point by healing differences and improving ties.


China, Europe should ‘fix rifts’ or risk return to ‘law of the jungle’ under Trump: diplomat

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Diplomats and experts urge Brussels and Beijing to prepare for global turning point by healing differences and improving ties

Diplomats and experts urge Brussels and Beijing to prepare for global turning point by healing differences and improving ties