Five years into China’s massive Belt and Road Initiative, the U.S. is trying to respond to Xi Jinping’s infrastructure-building spree. Illustration: Crystal TaiThe European Union moved Tuesday to recalibrate ties with China, promising to address growing threats to trade, economic growth and security posed by Beijing’s global assertiveness. In a sharp shift from attitudes just two years ago, when China was seen as a potential partner in maintaining global rules and institutions following President Trump’s election, the EU’s executive arm labeled Beijing an “economic competitor” in critical fields such as the development of 5G networks and a “systemic rival” politically.

Source: Wall Street Journal March 12, 2019 18:56 UTC