EURACTIV: An EU-China bridge is designed to crumble

Europe should no more align with Beijing’s effort to dismantle the existing order than it should hope for the return of the United States of 40 years ago.

Recent tensions between the EU and US have resurfaced the familiar argument that Europe should rebalance towards China to compensate for uncertainty in Washington. Some policymakers frame this shift as pragmatic hedging. Others present it as strategic autonomy.

In reality, these voices seek to cultivate a relationship that ignores the dangers of China’s industrial overcapacity, Europe’s shrinking manufacturing base, and the global balance of power. 

European efforts to deepen ties with China rest on the misguided belief that Beijing would treat Europe as an equal partner. The last decade of Chinese foreign policy teaches us that there is no such thing as an equal for Beijing. Put plainly, Europe should no more align with Beijing’s effort to dismantle the existing order than it should hope for the return of the United States of 40 years ago.  

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