Chinese officials and businesses are seeking a rapprochement with the EU amid Donald Trump’s trade war, but the bloc remains deeply sceptical of becoming a dumping ground for goods diverted from the US.
Beijing is looking to deepen ties with the world’s largest trading bloc with the hope of finding alternative markets for its goods in the face of steep US tariffs. China has dispatched trade delegations to European capitals in recent weeks, and factories are exploring rerouting goods to the continent’s markets.
EU leaders have also publicly expressed the need for greater co-operation, a strong contrast to their previous declarations of the need to “de-risk” their supply chains from Beijing.