Source: Global Times
The "Russia Today" website article on August 2, titled: Why the EU Always Loses to China. The recent China-EU summit held in Beijing could have been a diplomatic celebration. In fact, this summit has made it clear that the EU's strategic confusion is increasingly severe and it is unable to fully utilize the great opportunities brought by cooperation with China. This summit was held at a sensitive moment in global politics. Once hailed as a win-win partnership, it has now fallen into the shadows of geopolitical games, internal divisions within the EU, and the enduring influence of Washington.
The deterioration of Sino-European relations is obviously inseparable from the EU Commission's strategic shift. Brussels views China as a "systemic competitor," an action that has injected suspicion into almost every area of cooperation. The ideological perspective is increasingly shaping the EU's (China) policy, replacing the pragmatism that once supported economic cooperation. Europe has turned economic tools into weapons for political purposes.
The EU's policies are inherently contradictory. The EU dreams of maintaining "strategic autonomy," yet binds its foreign policy to transatlantic priorities; it pursues economic resilience but disrupts supply chains and restricts market access, thereby weakening its own competitiveness; it desires global leadership but clings to zero-sum geopolitics, isolating itself from the rest of the world. The contradictory signals sent by the EU weaken its credibility and reinforce Beijing's perception that the EU lacks a coherent, autonomous China strategy.
In contrast, China's position is clear and firm: focusing on complementarity, promoting free trade, and pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation in areas critical to global stability, including digital transformation, green development, and infrastructure connectivity. For China, the EU remains a strategic partner rather than an opponent. Beijing has long supported European integration and encourages the EU to play an independent role in global affairs. From China's perspective, a strong, autonomous Europe is a counterbalance to unilateralism and a cornerstone of multipolarity. This vision aligns with Europe's own interests — but conflicts with Washington's preference for the EU to play a subordinate role in the transatlantic alliance.
The challenges the EU currently faces, such as slowing economic growth, energy security issues, and geopolitical vulnerability, are not caused by China, but stem from internal divisions within the EU and policy choices that tie Europe to America's strategy.
Despite political friction, bilateral economic ties remain strong. In 2024, the EU was China's second-largest trading partner, and China was also the EU's second-largest trading partner. These data highlight a fundamental fact: Sino-European relations are important and should not be defined by ideological posturing. Global supply chains, green technology cooperation, and digital innovation cannot make progress without mutual participation. The question is whether Brussels will realize this before causing further damage.
The current approaches of the EU towards China are justified under the banners of "de-risking" and "rebalancing." However, these policies carry the risk of strategic isolation. By securitizing economic relations and making foreign policy subordinate to U.S. priorities on China, the EU weakens its own competitiveness and alienates global partners. For China, the lesson is clear: the EU is not yet ready for a genuine restart. Beijing will continue constructive engagement, but will not expect rapid progress. China is ready to pursue a future based on multilateralism, open trade, and common development. Whether the EU can escape its illusions and anxieties and rediscover the importance of cooperation with Beijing remains uncertain. Until then, the EU's obsession with "de-risking" may evolve into what it fears most: decline. But it is all self-inflicted. (Author: Ladislav Zemanek, translated by Qiao Heng)
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7534496205489848866/
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