Opinion Piece: China sees mixed results wooing Europe
In this piece for East Asia Forum, Bruegel Senior Fellow Alicia García-Herrero takes a closer look at the current setting for EU-China relations, not least in light of the global landscape.
In the piece, she argues that President Xi Jinping’s May 2024 European tour prompted the continent to confront China’s economic influence and its strategic partnership with Russia. Amid China’s massive industrial policy and rapidly increasing green tech exports, the European Union is seeking to protect its own internal market. The European Union has already issued warnings of sanctions against Chinese exporters and has implemented countervailing duties on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs). Xi’s trip highlighted the complex geopolitical environment that shapes EU–China relations, reaffirming Europe’s shift towards protective measures and cautious engagement with China.
