Europe stepped up warnings of the risks the bloc faces from a rising China, but analysts noted division among and within the continent’s biggest economies.
Ahead of a European Commission meeting on dealing with China, a policy paper signed by five European countries, including France, called for “a broader, cross-sector trade defense tool,” while the EU’s industry commissioner said companies on the continent were not doing enough to cut their reliance on Chinese suppliers.
“The EU and China are closer to an actual, real trade war than they’ve been in a long time,” veteran China-watcher Bill Bishop said recently. Yet internal disagreement abounds: Carmakers, for example, have lobbied for a suspension of sanctions on Chinese suppliers.
