The European Union should reevaluate its position within the Western alliance and explore the possibility of strengthening ties with China, said an expert on Friday.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU.
The 25th China-EU Summit was held in Beijing on Thursday. During the event, both sides agree to strengthen cooperation in various fields.
In an interview with China Radio International (CRI) on Friday, Martin Jacques, a former senior fellow at the Department of Politics and International Studies of Cambridge University, highlighted the extensive cooperation between China and the EU, particularly in the area of climate change.
"There are areas where I think there has been really significant cooperation. Most obviously, I think climate change, for instance, where, one way or another I think over a period of time, Europe and China have learned from each other, actually, which is exactly what you need in such a relationship," he said.
However, Jacques noted that the dynamics within the EU and its Western alliance are shifting due to Trump's "America First" policy.
"But I think that Europe is still hesitant. I mean, what's happening following Trump is that you've got the beginnings of some kind of breakdown in the Western alliance. Trump's 'America First' approach means that America is, at a minimum, trying to redefine its relationship with Europe, so that the United States is in a more powerful position in relation to Europe as well as the rest of the world. I mean, that's the sort of Trump doctrine, if you like," he said.
In this context, Europe must reassess its future and its relationship with the United States, the Atlantic alliance, and China, said Jacques, adding that the importance of the EU's relationship with China is clear for its future.
"The EU, I think, so far in this new context since Trump 2.0 has been very, very timid and worried and short term in its response. I'm hoping that over time, Europe can move closer to China. I mean, there's a whole history of Europe's relationship with the West and the United States and so on, which can't be ignored and isn't going to go away. But the emphasis needs to shift in European approach away from the old traditional verities of the Western alliance toward a closer relationship with China," he said.
EU should rethink its future with Western alliance, China: British scholar
