China-EU Relations Strengthen Despite Borrell's Trip Snub
Despite the cancellation of EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell's scheduled trip to China, high-level exchanges between China and the EU continue in areas such as climate change. The EU's multifaceted policy toward China, which includes viewing China as a partner, competitor, and systemic rival, could lead to challenges and fluctuations in the relationship. The EU seeks to reduce risks associated with its economic ties to China, but experts argue that reducing dependency on China may be unrealistic given the complementary nature of their economic relationship. The cancellation of Borrell's trip may be a symbolic gesture in response to the EU's widened export control targeting chipset technologies. The EU's approach of managing confrontation and competition while seeking cooperation is seen as unacceptable by China. Despite overall stability, the EU's policy toward China may be affected by temporary factors and internal divisions within the EU. High-level engagements between China and the EU are planned, but divergences on issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, market access, and human rights persist.