Don’t expect Greenland crisis to realign EU with China, former US diplomat says
HKU seminar hears that the core task for Brussels is to navigate US-China rivalry while seeking a balance between the two
Addressing a seminar at the University of Hong Kong on Monday, Klein said he had “detected some hope in China over the past several years that, as Europe’s relations with the United States deteriorate, maybe this is an opening [for Beijing]”.
“Maybe Europe will see China as a partner and potentially, even a counterweight to the United States,” added Klein, now a partner with the consultancy FGS Global and non-resident fellow of HKU’s Centre on Contemporary China and the World.
“But I think all of those assessments, or hopes, are inaccurate … Expecting Europe to fundamentally shift how it engages China is not going to happen.”
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Klein said that although Washington’s unpredictable policies were shaking the EU, China’s image was also deteriorating within the bloc, largely because of its trade policy and perceived support for Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine.