On July 4, Xin Hua, Director of the European Union (EU) Research Center at Shanghai International Studies University, stated at the forum “The New Dynamics of U.S.-EU Relations in the Trump 2.0 Era” that the EU is increasingly viewing China as a competitor and, to some extent, as part of an opposing camp.
Xin noted that since Trump’s return to office earlier this year, U.S.-EU conflicts have intensified, and the previously established mechanisms for mutual coordination and communication have largely disappeared. He said EU decision-makers and political elites are experiencing “triple anxieties” in the economic and technological spheres: anxiety over lagging competitiveness in research and tech companies, anxiety over resilience amid global instability, and anxiety over access to critical minerals and data.
How does this affect China-EU relations? Xin explained that in its 2019 strategic outlook, the EU labeled China as a “partner, competitor, and systemic rival.” But due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and U.S.-China tensions, the EU’s view of China has fundamentally shifted – competition now dominates the China-EU relationship. “The EU now sees China as part of a confrontational bloc to some extent,” he said.
Although Trump’s policies have made Europeans feel “pain and humiliation,” Europe has not moved closer to China or attempted to align with China to counterbalance the U.S. On the contrary, the EU hopes to leverage U.S.-China conflict to pressure China into making policy concessions beneficial to Europe.
In this context, Europe perceives China as a challenge or even a threat, showing little will to improve bilateral ties. Instead, it is advancing supply chain restructuring to reduce strategic dependence on China, and tightening scrutiny on Chinese investments to prevent China’s acquisition of Europe’s strategic assets. In trade and investment involving general industries, China-EU cooperation is also expected to face increasing obstacles.
Unlike the U.S., whose concerns about China are rooted in strategic security and military defense, Europe lacks such considerations. Thus, even if Europe clashes with China, it is unlikely to lead to prolonged or intense confrontation. Source: Lianhe Zaobao, July 6, 2025
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/china/story20250706-7084196