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China ‘needs to win over Europe’ after loss of trust and impact of US rivalry
- European Union reluctant to pick a side in the US-China tussle, but has shown a toughening of its stance towards Beijing
- Hopes of enhancing ties with Europe remain on hold as Beijing implements its trade deal with the US and the world battles the coronavirus
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As the United States puts pressure on its allies to stand against China, Beijing must act to rebuild its relations with the European Union, business and diplomatic observers have said.
The EU has so far avoided taking sides in a China-US rivalry that has expanded to multiple fronts, but Beijing should not be complacent after an economic rift with the bloc and loss of political trust, the observers said.
When Washington imposed tariffs on Chinese imports to set off the US-China trade war in 2018, Beijing warned Europe not to “stab China in the back”, yet the continent has since criticised China on issues including trade, the coronavirus and its actions in Hong Kong.
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The Group of 7 has also been a focus of differences with China. The EU and Britain have slammed the invitation for Russia, which has become closer to China, to rejoin the G7, while Australia – under economic sanction by Beijing – has accepted an invitation to attend this year’s G7 summit as a guest.
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