Europe’s ‘China’ policy is flawedBy Rahul MishraChina has apparently emerged as one of the clearest and most predictable beneficiaries of US President Donald Trump’s “America First” and “Make America Great Again” approach. Yet this does not amount to a formal overhaul of Europe’s China policy, nor does it represent an explicit geopolitical realignment. Altering China policy in reaction to US unpredictability is neither coherent nor sustainable. Equally striking is the near-total absence of democratic values in this recalibration, despite their centrality to Europe’s declared foreign policy identity. The flurry of engagement exposes the incoherence of Europe’s China policy and its lack of a consistent strategy for managing Beijing while navigating deteriorating US-China relations.

Source: Taipei Times February 23, 2026 16:05 UTC