By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-03-25 04:05:12 | Updated at 2025-04-04 00:10:25
1 week ago
For five months, debate has raged on how the return of US President Donald Trump, which has upended the West, will alter Europe’s relations with China. With a stream of senior European officials headed for Beijing, we may be about to get some answers.
Alongside top-level figures from Brussels, which maintains a tough line towards Beijing, are representatives of capitals from Europe’s west and south that have advocated a softer approach and distance from Washington.
Each will be asking for something slightly different.
Their demands will display the competing interests between the European Union’s members and institutions at a moment of geopolitical chaos that is predicted to create new fissures in the 27-member bloc’s often schizophrenic approach to China.
Beijing’s responses, meanwhile, will signal whether it is in the mood for making concessions to Europe which could buoy a relationship that sunk to fresh lows in recent years.
“This is certainly a big opportunity for China,” said one senior official involved in coordinating the trips. “They are not stupid – if they didn’t already see an opportunity to build with the EU before then they should realise it right now – but they have to offer something concrete.”
