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Zhao Ziwen

While there may be hopes in Beijing that Washington’s attempt to acquire Greenland has strained transatlantic ties and might draw European countries closer to China, a veteran US diplomat said such a fundamental realignment was unlikely.
The core task of the European Union’s foreign policy will remain navigating intensifying US-China rivalry while seeking a workable balance between the two, according to William Klein, a former charge d’affaires at the US embassy in China.
Addressing a seminar at the University of Hong Kong on Monday, Klein said he had “detected some hope in China over the past several years that, as Europe’s relations with the United States deteriorate, maybe this is an opening [for Beijing]”.
“Maybe Europe will see China as a partner and potentially, even a counterweight to the United States,” added Klein, now a partner with the consultancy FGS Global and non-resident fellow of HKU’s Centre on Contemporary China and the World.
“But I think all of those assessments, or hopes, are inaccurate … Expecting Europe to fundamentally shift how it engages China is not going to happen.”


Klein said that although Washington’s unpredictable policies were shaking the EU, China’s image was also deteriorating within the bloc, largely because of its trade policy and perceived support for Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine.
“China does not look better and people don’t rethink those perceptions just because of the challenges that they have with the United States.”
Washington and Brussels are in a stand-off over US President Donald Trump’s intention to acquire Greenland. On Monday he threatened 10 per cent tariffs from next month, rising to 25 per cent in June, on a slew of European countries. Europe has vowed to retaliate.
On the other front, China and the EU remain at odds over trade, even as Beijing portrayed last week’s milestone towards resolving their years-long dispute over Chinese electric vehicles as a “soft landing”.
Guidance published by Brussels on January 12 for Chinese EV exporters said they could submit price undertaking offers that were “adequate to eliminate injurious effects of subsidies and provide equivalent effect to duties”.
However, Brussels’ de-risking process is continuing, if not accelerating. For instance, despite last month’s jump in EU imports of Chinese rare earths, the bloc is promoting blueprints to further decrease its dependence on China.
Last month, Brussels also launched a proposal to closely track the bloc’s reliance on China’s goods, especially critical minerals that included rare earths.
According to Klein, the EU’s key mission for the foreseeable future was to look for a balanced approach between Beijing and Washington as “everyone else will position themselves according to their interests”.
“Europe has to fundamentally think about how it balances those challenges from China and the United States,” he said.
“What that’s going to look like in practice remains to be seen. But again, I don’t see the fundamental structure and trajectory of the Europe-China relationship changing.”




As a rules-based actor, the EU was unlikely to pursue decoupling from China or adopt Washington-style abrupt and confrontational policies towards a strategic competitor, Klein added.
And, as a complex bloc with multiple stakeholders that benefited significantly from China’s economy, the EU had strong structural incentives to avoid a full economic break between the two sides.
“We can expect, in the coming years, that the trade and commercial relationship will become more challenging [between Beijing and Brussels], but you will not see Europe take the relationship with China to where the US has taken it,” Klein said.
“Stakeholders will influence that rule-making process and, because the rules are so important, I can assure all of you that you will not wake up one morning and see a tweet from [EU leader] Ursula von der Leyen announcing new tariffs against China.”


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HKU seminar hears that the core task for Brussels is to navigate US-China rivalry while seeking a balance between the two


HKU seminar hears that the core task for Brussels is to navigate US-China rivalry while seeking a balance between the two.


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Don’t expect Greenland crisis to realign EU with China, former US diplomat says

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}HKU seminar hears that the core task for Brussels is to navigate US-China rivalry while seeking a balance between the two

HKU seminar hears that the core task for Brussels is to navigate US-China rivalry while seeking a balance between the two