The world is undergoing a historical and cultural rupture. Just as Hollywood and other American exports once gave the rest of the world a glimpse of modern life and the future that awaited them, China is now doing the same for African, Latin American and even American young people
Europe is learning to adapt to a hotter climate. It should take the same approach to economic dependencies: manage the consequences, but also change the conditions that created them
Merz’s trip is less a bilateral tour than a signal setting moment: his words and stance will influence whether Europe pivots to a more assertive China strategy or lets Beijing lock in a costly status quo
China is shifting its economic strategies towards micro-integration and market diversification, which pose a more subtle danger to Europe’s industrial heartlands
Like-minded countries are starting to protect themselves from US unpredictability and Chinese dominance by forging new coalitions. This will only work if they limit their solo deals with Beijing
According to Chinese academics, economists and retired military officers, the country’s leaders are not losing any sleep over Donald Trump’s America First agenda. In fact, as they see it, the US president is ushering in a world that Chinese strategists have long been preparing for
European luxury brands have lost their pull among Chinese consumers—and the change is not just down to economics
Europeans should understand that China views climate policy not as ideology—but as a lever of industrial power
Chinese policymakers are well used to ignoring European objections to decisions made in Beijing. With a new array of tools, the EU could finally cause them to think differently
Activities by Huawei and the Chinese authorities in Bulgaria suggest a more elaborate and all-embracing approach to engaging society
Chinese foreign manipulation and interference are rising in Europe. Five techniques feature in Beijing’s playbook, communicating messages about China’s place in the world and support for Russian positions.
The global order no longer favours Western dominance, and Europe’s peripheries have become battlegrounds for competing powers. Yet, the EU’s enlargement policy has not kept pace with this new geopolitical reality
Beijing’s economic policies are threatening European competitiveness and economic security at a time when Europe cannot afford to be vulnerable. Poland can use its growing leadership role in the EU to help guide the bloc’s response
China’s ideas could become the country’s next big export. The Idea of China examines Chinese thinking about global order, AI, demographic change, and more – and considers how these ideas could influence the world
China is strengthening its ties to the Gulf in areas well beyond the energy sector. The EU clearly has stakes in the region, but it should not try to directly counter China’s influence. It should instead build its own Gulf partnerships
Chinese thinkers are drawing four key lessons from Russia’s war on Ukraine, informing their views on: America, Russia, Taiwan, and economic interdependence with the West
Europeans risk over-dependence on China for the green technologies needed to build the low-carbon economy of the future. They should take steps to reduce their exposure – while recognising they will have to work with Chinese suppliers in some instances
China is expanding its presence in Bulgaria through a strategy of engagement with state and non-state actors. This has concerning implications in areas such as technology transfer, critical infrastructure, and public procurement
A majority of European citizens believe a new cold war with both China and Russia is under way – but they mostly do not think that their own country is involved
ECFR’s policy experts examine what the Taliban takeover means for countries and regions around the world: Europe, the US, the Middle East, Russia, China, Iran, Turkey, and the Sahel
The world is undergoing a historical and cultural rupture. Just as Hollywood and other American exports once gave the rest of the world a glimpse of modern life and the future that awaited them, China is now doing the same for African, Latin American and even American young people
Europe is learning to adapt to a hotter climate. It should take the same approach to economic dependencies: manage the consequences, but also change the conditions that created them
Merz’s trip is less a bilateral tour than a signal setting moment: his words and stance will influence whether Europe pivots to a more assertive China strategy or lets Beijing lock in a costly status quo
China is shifting its economic strategies towards micro-integration and market diversification, which pose a more subtle danger to Europe’s industrial heartlands
Like-minded countries are starting to protect themselves from US unpredictability and Chinese dominance by forging new coalitions. This will only work if they limit their solo deals with Beijing
According to Chinese academics, economists and retired military officers, the country’s leaders are not losing any sleep over Donald Trump’s America First agenda. In fact, as they see it, the US president is ushering in a world that Chinese strategists have long been preparing for
European luxury brands have lost their pull among Chinese consumers—and the change is not just down to economics
Europeans should understand that China views climate policy not as ideology—but as a lever of industrial power
Chinese policymakers are well used to ignoring European objections to decisions made in Beijing. With a new array of tools, the EU could finally cause them to think differently
Activities by Huawei and the Chinese authorities in Bulgaria suggest a more elaborate and all-embracing approach to engaging society
China is building up its influence in the Western Balkans through projects focused on everything from energy and infrastructure to culture, education, and media. If the European Union is to achieve its geopolitical goals in the region, it will need to understand the nature of competition with Beijing in all these areas
Mark Leonard welcomes Janka Oertel and Andrew Small to discuss how China’s industrial rise is shaking Germany—and Europe’s—economic foundations
Mark Leonard welcomes Adriana Abdenur and Jorge Castañeda to discuss how China is reshaping the political imagination of Latin America
Mark Leonard welcomes LuHan Gabel, Ooi Kee Beng and Chelsea Nguyen to explore how younger generations in China, Malaysia and Vietnam are rethinking the meaning of modernity in a post-Western world
Mark Leonard welcomes Loubna El Amine and Cobus van Staden to explore how younger generations in Africa and the Middle East are shaping perceptions of China, the West and the future
Mark Leonard welcomes Mike Kuiken and Randy Schriver to examine the evolving US-China relationship and what it means for Europe
Mark Leonard welcomes Dan Wang to explore China’s evolving technological dominance and how its rivalry with the US and Europe will look in the future
Mark Leonard welcomes Janka Oertel to unpack the US-China trade de-escalation and its implications for Europe
Mark Leonard welcomes Camille Grand and Janka Oertel to unpack Taiwan’s strategic calculus amid rising global tensions, and Europe’s role in the Indo-Pacific
Mark Leonard welcomes Agathe Demarais and Janka Oertel to discuss EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and the potential for future economic sanctions
Mark Leonard and Alicja Bachulska welcome Yan Xuetong to discuss China’s role in the new global order
China is already the undisputed champion of traditional manufacturing. But China’s leadership wants more: it aspires to lead in the next generation of production by 2035 – and biomanufacturing has emerged as a priority for China’s economic security, resilience and strategic autonomy. Europe has seen this movie before. As with solar panels or…
L’Ufficio di Roma dello European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) ha organizzato un briefing online dal titolo “From vulnerability to leverage: Europe’s defenses against Chinese economic coercion”, che si è tenuto il 21 maggio 2026 dalle ore 17:00 alle 18:00. Alla base del confronto c’era il policy brief “Beijing hold’em: European cards against Chinese…
While the war with Iran continues to escalate, Donald Trump is still set to visit China with which the stakes extend from tariffs and intensifying geopolitical rivalry. Under its latest 5-year plan, Beijing is doubling down on a centralised, export-dominated system that will intensify competition with both the US and Europe. Trump and Xi…
Europe today finds itself facing unprecedented global challenges and surrounded by transactional powers. Donald Trump is poised to redefine the global role of the US – revisiting alliances, challenging NATO, and treating security and trade alike as bargaining chips. China is pressing its advantage in technology, infrastructure, and diplomacy, asking Europeans to choose between principles…
This event will again bring together a diverse group of high-level policymakers and experts from all over Europe to discuss responses to the challenges posed by China’s economic, technology, foreign and security policies. In 2025, these discussions take place at a moment of unprecedented stress and uncertainty. With China and the US locked in…
Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are engaged in a high-stakes game of chicken in the emerging trade war. With more than 150% tariffs on Chinese goods and a reciprocal response from Beijing on US imports, economic relations between the two sides have essentially come to a halt. Lack of clarity around the US endgame…
Questa edizione del Transatlantic Forum ha visto il contributo di voci dal mondo accademico, dei think tank e del settore strategico, per discutere delle tensioni tra Stati Uniti e Cina, dalla competizione tecnologica all’evoluzione delle minacce ibride, dal cyberspazio alle infrastrutture critiche. Al centro del dibattito anche il ruolo dell’Europa tra interdipendenza e autonomia…
Si tratta del sesto appuntamento di una serie di working lunch realizzati congiuntamente da ECFR Roma, SDA Bocconi e l’Institute for European Policymaking @ Bocconi University. L’arrivo di Donald Trump e la svolta protezionistica degli Stati Uniti costringe Unione europea e Cina a ridefinire i loro rapporti. L’approccio aggressivo sul commercio dell’amministrazione americana…
With increased US-China competition likely to shape Trump’s second term, significant attention in Washington is focused on the primacists, prioritisers and restrainers vying to shape the incoming administration’s China policy. But this focus on the US often neglects the perspectives and debates within China itself. To help us understand these internal discussions, Mark Leonard…
Picture this scenario: the year is 2028 and western intelligence services have reached an alarming conclusion. Credible sources suggest that China is about to impose a maritime blockade around Taiwan – a step that intelligence officers believe will precede a full-scale invasion of the territory. As the world braces for impact, G7 allies scramble to…
Alicja Bachulska on the phenomenon of ‘China-maxxing’, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit and China–EU relations
Alberto Rizzi on European solidarity from Ceuta to China trade disputes
