Opinion | A few suggestions for the EU if it sincerely wants to reset China ties

As European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa prepare for their summit with Chinese leaders later this month, tensions between the EU and China have only intensified.

The European Union has accused China of supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine. However, China maintains that it has not provided lethal weapons to either party in the conflict and has exercised strict controls on dual-use goods exports to the warring countries. Given China’s nearly unrivalled manufacturing capacity in the world, Ukrainian forces would likely have been more overwhelmed on the battlefield had Beijing backed Moscow’s war effort.

While the EU sees Russia as an adversary, China does not want to turn it into a hostile neighbour. Peaceful ties with its northern neighbour, which shares a nearly 4,300-kilometre-long border, are essential for China’s development and prosperity. What the EU is pushing could cause a fraught relationship between the two countries. Is that the bloc’s objective?

Moreover, the EU’s position on the war has become increasingly untenable given US President Donald Trump’s desire to quickly end the conflict. Put simply, the biggest roadblock to the EU’s war effort is the Trump administration. It is, therefore, imperative for the Europeans to get Trump on their side. Otherwise, Brussels will find itself alone carrying on Joe Biden’s unfinished business – fighting Russians until the last Ukrainian. Pressuring China is a misguided and futile endeavour.