The European Commission says its strategy is to “de-risk” rather than decouple from China, while pursuing initiatives aimed at boosting Europe’s resilience and competitiveness on the world stage.
China, however, has said these moves amount to institutional discrimination.
Among the measures being considered are plans to phase out what the EU describes as high-risk foreign technology suppliers from Europe’s 5G networks.
Beijing has called the move protectionist, though some analysts argue there could be a degree of political posturing involved.
“We are racking up a lot of leverage and potential frictions against China, and I would say there’s only one reason you would do that,” said Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, director of the European Centre for International Political Economy – a global economy think-tank based in Brussels.
“It’s because (here in Europe), we’re forced against our will into a deal with China whether we want it or not, because Americans are doing a deal with China.”
For now, the impact of last week’s historic summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping for Europe remains uncertain.
While an easing of tensions between Washington and Beijing could create economic opportunities, there are concerns Europe may find itself increasingly sidelined – particularly as EU-US trade relations continue to face challenges.
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