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China-EU relations
ChinaDiplomacy

In Europe, Xi Jinping’s Russia trip casts a shadow over China’s charm offensive

China celebrates 50 years of diplomatic relations with the European Union as the Chinese leader attends Vladimir Putin’s military parade

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China’s President Xi Jinping arrives for his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on May 8. Russia marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in World War II over Nazi Germany and its allies on May 9. Photo: EPA-EFE
Finbarr Berminghamin Brussels

At China’s fortresslike embassy in the leafy suburbs of Brussels on Tuesday, wine and beer flowed as around 800 guests – including senior EU officials and diplomats from the United States – were offered hardback copies of Xi Jinping Thought, in several European languages, and ate from a lavish Chinese buffet.

Earlier that day, an estimated 1,500 people gathered at the EU’s embassy in Beijing, while a smaller event took place at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday – all commemorating the 50th anniversary of China establishing diplomatic relations with the European Union.

Leaders exchanged warm congratulatory letters stripped of the barbs about Russia and trade that have come to define the pair’s spiky engagements in recent years, while glowing speeches touted “deeper cooperation”, and only briefly touched on underlying difficulties.

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The events form the cornerstone of a Chinese charm offensive that has gathered pace in recent weeks, as Beijing looks to capitalise on a dramatic shift in posture in the US under returning President Donald Trump, who has turned hostile towards Europe and shredded the transatlantic alliance.
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On the face of it, the pageantry, the toasts and the bonhomie this week suggest that Beijing’s efforts are paying off. Europe appears, at times, to be receptive to its advances.

But 2,500km (1,550 miles) away, an even bigger anniversary event is a reminder of the single biggest stumbling block to a meaningful rapprochement: China’s cosy ties with Russia.
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As President Xi Jinping touched down in Moscow on Wednesday to attend a parade marking the 80th anniversary of the “Victory in the Soviet Union’s Great Patriotic War”, he vowed in a speech to “inject strong impetus into the development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership”.
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