China Won’t Cut Ties with Russia Just to Appease Europe

Even though the U.S. and Europe have fallen out so dramatically, China-Europe relations will not automatically improve as a result.
There are several rather peculiar reasons behind this. One is the European mindset.

Europeans have always carried themselves with a sense of superiority. Now that China has overtaken them, that sense of superiority has been shattered, replaced by a feeling of imbalance. As a result, China is cast as the dark power backing Russia.

Europe’s Allegations of China’s Covert Support for Russia

Europe is deeply upset by Russia’s resilience, its continuous military gains on the Ukrainian battlefield, and the fact that—barring major external intervention—Russia is essentially winning the war. This unease has led the Europeans to place the blame on China.

The Europeans assume that Russia’s strong performance is due to China’s backing, and therefore, no matter how China insists on its neutral stance, it does little to change Europe’s deeply ingrained stereotype of China.

From this perspective, Europeans frequently tell China in public statements that if China wants to restore relations and deepen cooperation with Europe, it must sever ties with Russia. However, this is something China will never agree to. As a sovereign nation, China cannot be blackmailed or dictated to—it is simply out of the question.

Therefore, in the short term, China-Europe relations remain deadlocked.

China-Europe Relations May Be Stuck in a Long-Term Bottleneck

In the long run, a fundamental issue in China-Europe relations lies in the manufacturing sector, which generates the highest profits. China has comprehensively outperformed Europe in this domain. Europe has traditionally relied on its advanced manufacturing sector to profit globally, but now that it is losing its competitive edge, it once again places the blames on China.

From this perspective, even in the medium to long term, China-Europe relations are essentially entering a bottleneck phase.

In the past, China placed great importance on the European market because it was relatively open and had strong purchasing power.
During that time, Chinese people enjoyed engaging with Europeans and even harbored a sense of gratitude toward them. This was because, after the initial period of industrialization, aside from the equipment imported from the Soviet Union, China’s advanced manufacturing equipment since the 1970s primarily came from Europe. To some extent, China felt a sense of appreciation toward Europe and was willing to strengthen cooperation, even if it meant making concessions.

China’s Shifting Perception of Europe

But Europe’s close alignment with the US over China policies has strained the bilateral relations in recent years.

Particularly under the leadership of Ursula von der Leyen and her administration, the EU has moved significantly closer to the U.S., almost becoming an echo chamber for American policies. Against this backdrop, China-Europe relations have deteriorated further.

As a result, the perception of Europe among Chinese people—whether ordinary citizens, government officials, or diplomats—has rapidly worsened. Today, from Chinese diplomats to trade officials, government leaders, and the general public, there is no longer a strong sense of gratitude toward Europe. Many now believe that Europe’s current predicament is, to some extent, self-inflicted.

Editor: Zhongxiaowen