Europe needs to rethink China

Europe’s ancient castles stand as majestic monuments to a divided past. Their towering walls, built to keep ‘us’ safe from ‘them’, reveal more than medieval engineering prowess — they embody a defensive worldview that once dominated global politics.

Today, as Europe navigates its relationship with China, it faces a critical choice: will it retreat behind new walls of suspicion, or forge a path of strategic engagement? Seen in this context, the EU institutions’ recent high-level engagement with China is critically important.

Strategic imperative

In an era of raging trade wars, China represents the EU’s most consequential strategic opportunity. Together, they account for over one-third of the global economy and a quarter of world trade. Should they unite to uphold multilateral rules, no single actor could unilaterally dismantle them.

These rules are existential for smaller economies. The multilateral trading system conceived after WWII once allowed them to benefit from the bargaining powers of bigger economies and get the same tariff treatment. Now, it is “every man for himself.” Presidents and trade ministers have to walk into a Washington room and arm-wrestle economic behemoths alone.

Global leadership is urgently needed. In the recent China-EU summit, Chinese president Xi Jinping referred to China and Europe as the “big guys” — and he was making an excellent point. There is hardly a better partner than China as the EU reclaims its mantle as the champion of free trade.

Tangible benefits

Beyond trade, smaller nations are also looking to the two “big guys” to set and defend fair rules for emerging challenges. While artificial intelligence risks leaving entire regions behind, Europe’s humanistic tradition and China’s people-centric values position them uniquely to ensure AI serves humanity rather than endangering it.

The same holds true for green transition.

The case for partnership isn’t just strategic — it’s practical. Few markets rival China’s breadth of opportunity: Italian leather goods grace Shanghai boutiques; Spanish ham stars in Beijing gourmet stores; Greek olive oil fuels China’s health-conscious middle class. From Thyssenkrupp elevators in aging neighbourhoods to Siemens machinery in smart factories, European quality is woven into Chinese daily life.

The way forward

With the depth of economic links between China and Europe, challenges inevitably arise.

Healthy relationships are not defined by the absence of problems, but by the ability to resolve them constructively.

The business forum that took place as part of the China-EU summit was a useful step in this direction. It allowed Chinese and European CEOs to voice their concerns, which were directly addressed by Chinese premier Li Qiang and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.

An unhelpful reaction would be to exaggerate stories about “abuse of subsidies,” “overcapacity,” or “trade diversion.”

They are not supported by facts or basic economics: in a globalised market, consumers choose winners — and they demand quality, not just low prices.

Companies won’t produce what they can’t sell, and consumers won’t buy what they don’t need.

When Nokia dominated 86 percent of China’s mobile market, no one in China cried “overcapacity” or “de-risking” — they celebrated excellence.

The EU leadership has wisely chosen not to barricade itself in any mental or geopolitical castle, but rather to build bridges on its own terms.

After all, while castles may offer the illusion of security, true strength comes from engagement. A wise leader knows that a home need not be a fortress to be secure.

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