TRENDS: Strategic Competitors or Partners? An Agenda for EU-China Relations

As competition between the U.S. and China builds up, Europe is compelled to choose between two systems. EU-China relations have not been at their best in recent years, a product of economic, political, and security challenges. While some matters in the bilateral relationship can be managed, most of these issues are structural, directly impacting the national interest of either party. As the United States revisits its foreign policy priorities, however, Europe is concerned about its future security, pushing the old continent into a race for defense spending and economic competitiveness.

What Does China Mean for the European Experiment?

The European Union was born to reject the idea that major countries were destined for conflict, but now it must face it. In 1952, when Robert Schumann and other European leaders were laying the foundation for the EU, they did so over the ashes of two deadly World Wars. Their premise was that a united Europe through a common market, then limited to steel and aluminum, would not only prevent future wars but also interlink the growth of former rivals. The presumption of the experiment, as argued then, was that country-to-country conflict was inherently dangerous and should be eliminated. However, in this quest, European capitals created a gigantic Single Market and trade bloc capable of competing on the global stage.

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