China Pushing EU for an Anti-US Alliance after Trade War

After US-China Trade War, Beijing is pushing for greater China-EU Trade Relations according to EU officials. China is pressing for an anti-US trade alliance with the European Union (EU) amid widening rift with the United States. The US-China trade war escalated when China threatened to retaliate with counter-tariffs on US products. China, according to sources, is facing stiff resistance by various by EU partners for an anti-US alliance.

China-EU Trade Alliance

Five officials and diplomats of the European Union told Reuters that they have proposed a trade alliance between the China and EU against the US at the World Trade Organisation. However, the European Union rejected any such alliance with China to avoid confrontation with the United States and Donald Trump’s policies on trade. Besides the US-China trade war, the US has waged trade wars against the European Union, Mexico, India and Canada.

A China-EU Summit is scheduled to be held in Beijing between 16th and 17th July. China is expected to further pressurise the European Union for an anti-US alliance. To woo the European Union, China has also proposed that it would open the Chinese market even more extensively to the EU’s members. The US has imposed tariffs of $ 50 billion on the imports from China and Beijing is looking to hit back with similar tariffs.

Great opportunity for China?

A European diplomat involved in EU-China diplomacy said that the US President, Donald Trump with his policies has split the west. He further said that China is looking to capitalise on this split and catapult an anti-US front on trade.

Despite the US tariffs on the European Union, the EU still shares America’s discontent over the closed Chinese market. This may just be China’s moment if it can convince the EU on this alliance against the United States. Can China make the most of it or will the EU continue to resist?

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