Sino-American relations continue to deteriorate, pushing China to strengthen its links with the European Union. Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said Beijing considers Europe as a “global strategic partner and an important and independent pillar in a multipolar world”.
China is offensive!
This week, the administration of Donald Trump announced new customs duties of 10 % on Chinese imports, justifying this decision by the accusation that Beijing would not do enough to slow down the production of fentanyl chemical precursors, an opioid murderer in the United States.
In response, China has imposed customs duties on American coal and gas, while announcing export restrictions on certain strategic materials. These measures, which target approximately $ 20 billion in American goods, testify to a hardening of the positions between the two powers.
Despite this escalation, Beijing seeks to avoid prolonged trade war. “What we need now is not a unilateral increase in customs duties, but dialogue and discussion based on mutual respect”, said Lin Jian.
Europe between prudence and opportunism
Faced with this situation, China turns to Europe in the hope of strengthening its trade and investments. However, Europeans remain cautious. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said that the EU will pursue its risk limitation policy in its relations with Beijing, while seeking to “find solutions” to develop economic ties.
Recall that trade tensions between the EU and China have existed in the past. In addition, Europe has recently increased customs taxes on Chinese electric vehicles, to which Beijing responded with anti -dumping measures on certain European products, such as Cognac.
Faced with Sino-American tensions, China therefore seeks to strengthen its links with Europe, which remains cautious in its commitments. Between economic opportunities and the desire to limit risks, the EU will have to balance its relations with Beijing without compromising its own strategic interests or aggravating its disputes with Washington.
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