Could Trump's return to power in the USA widen the EU's cracks on China?

Increasing pressure on the European Union to choose sides between the US and China Donald Trump A return to power could widen the bloc’s internal divisions, a panel discussion on Sunday said.

In recent years, the bloc has tried to balance its desire to maintain positive economic relations while increasingly focusing on the competitive aspects of the relationship, characterizing Beijing as a systemic rival.

However, Brussels’ final decision Customs duties on imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles It threatens to trigger a trade war. Beijing has retaliated with its own tariffs on brandy imports and threatened further measures targeting agricultural products.

Russia’s war with Ukraine The broader dynamics this puts into play will help shape the bloc’s relationship with China, Feng Zhongping, director of the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Baichuan Forum in Shenzhen.

Most of the bloc’s members are strong supporters of Ukraine, and Beijing’s close ties with Moscow have caused intense distrust, even as Russia has repeatedly denied support for the war effort.

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“The EU may aim to maintain a positive relationship with the United States while maintaining economic cooperation with China. But under Trump, Washington will likely force the EU to choose sides between Washington and Beijing,” Feng said at the event held at the Shenzhen campus of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

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