Green cooperation helps narrow differences

China and Europe have generally been on good terms with each other in recent decades.

Their close economic interdependence and friendly overall relations have formed a virtuous circle that has made bilateral ties particularly resilient. In spite of all the geopolitical factors disrupting their constructive engagement, such historical resilience, coupled with the existential threats brought by global crises, suggests that the two sides will continue to work together.

As the United States intensifies its mobilization of all available resources for what it defines as decisive strategic competition between "democracies and authoritarian regimes", the European Union as a key US ally has found itself under greater pressure to "de-risk" in relation to China. The EU summit last month indicated that under Washington's influence, the European perception of China has changed strategically, and, as a result, European policy toward China is undergoing substantial modification as the bloc recalibrates its relations with the US.