Europe is Getting Closer to China!

No wonder if the geopolitics witnesses a re-alignment of power and trade politics, sooner than expected.

For, meetings between European leaders and Chinese leaders have started becoming regular in the last few days, something that was remotely witnessed just a few weeks ago in geopolitics.

French Foreign Minister in Beijing

Today (March 27, 2025), French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot was in China on a visit and held talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, who is literally on his toes these days to re-align his nation globally afresh after United States has shown a shift in its foreign policy.

The two leaders discussed France-China relations as well as the issue of Ukraine too, as reports suggest. They also discussed Europe’s trade disputes with China, which both Europe and China want to address afresh amidst changed geopolitical scenario.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, after the meeting reportedly maintained that China and France should ‘choose multilateralism over unilateralism’, and ‘pursue mutual benefit and win-win outcomes’, without naming the United States.

Barrot later met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who stressed the need of a strong China-France co-operation and deepening of bilateral relations.  

China and France have resolved to hold high-level strategic and economic dialogues later this year.

Portugal Foreign Minister in Beijing

Just a few days back, Portugal's Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel too, visited Beijing and held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The Chinese leader stated that China would like to have stronger ties with Europe.

European Union Trade Chief visits Beijing

European Union trade chief Maros Sefcovic visited Beijing on Wednesday soon after he visited the U.S. on Tuesday in order to soothe Europe’s ties with the United States. The alacrity of visits by top EU trade leaders only show that Europe is in an immediate need of trade re-alignments after the U.S. imposed tariffs on steel and aluminium as well as threatens to impose tariff on European exports—particularly cars, to the United States.

The U.S. tariff on steel and aluminium has evoked from Europe a retaliatory tariff—which only shows that relations between the U.S. and Europe have gone too sour.

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose 25 per cent tariff on cars exported to the United States. The United States account for Europe’s 25 per cent global auto exports—and if Trump does what he has said, it would be a deadly blow to European automakers.

Germany being an economy largely dependent on its automobile technology, it is going to be the hardest hit by the possible U.S. tariff.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen too has already stressed that Europe will continue to seek negotiated solutions as it safeguards its economic interest, which means Europe will both try to negotiate with the U.S. as well as look for new avenues for its economy.

Geopolitics and global trade relations have changed after the second coming of Donald Trump as the President of the United States. Trump’s upending the century-old traditional U.S.-Europe relations has left Europe re-thinking and Europe is forced to go for new global alliance. China being the largest economy after the U.S, China is a possible new ally for Europe.

As for China, United States’ shift in foreign policy has offered China an opportunity that it had been waiting since long in geopolitics.

What does China-Europe relation mean?

First, Europe-China trade relations have never been smooth in the past. A few months back, European Union had decided to impose huge tariff on Chinese cars exported to European countries. In retaliation, China had imposed tariff on French alcohol imported in China.

Automobile giant Germany has a huge market for its high-end cars in China. Germany had requested the European to reconsider its decision to impose tariff on Chinese cars, but European Commission went ahead with its decision to impose tariff on Chinese cars.

China’s electronic vehicles have a good market in Europe and imposition of tariff upon them by European Union had soured the relations between Europe and China. But the U.S. shift in geopolitics and trade has forced both Europe and China to re-think their relations.

Trade is Not the only Relation Europe Wants with China

Global politics has gone a complete U-turn after U.S. President Trump decided to follow ‘America First’ policy. Tariff, de-NATO, de-UN, improvement of its relations with arch enemy Russia, focus on strengthening domestic manufacturing, and cutting down of unnecessary expenses have become the new policy of Trump administration.

While the new policy of the U.S. definitely focuses on strengthening its economy, U.S. is unfortunately giving up its global leadership role on many fronts, leaving the space free for its competitor China to fill up.

China on the other hand, had been wanting to be the big brother of the world, and sees the current geopolitical situation as an opportunity.

But China must remember that its own economy is in daisy ground, and in that sense, it is no less than a gamble for China to step into the shoes of the United States. On the other hand, for Europe too, it would be no less than a sort of a gamble to deepen relationship with China, shedding its age-old relations with the U.S. and aligning with the U.S.’s arch rival China.

Where will Russia-China relation stand?

China has been a traditional ally of Russia. But with the U.S. trying to improve its diplomatic relations with Russia, and in that way trying to secure for itself some mineral benefits from Ukraine, situation has become daisy. Even the U.S. is gambling for a benefit—which of course of good for its upward economic mobility. Tariff definitely will bring inflation in the U.S., but in the long-run it holds potentials for increased domestic manufacturing.

In the changed scenario, only time will reveal what would be the fate of the age-old relationship of Russia and China in the coming days, if Europe comes closer to China on the one hand, and the U.S. moves closer to Russia on the other.

Summing Up,

The second coming of Trump and Ukraine-Russia war, have truly become a catalyst for change of world geopolitics and world trade relations.