Trade disputes with the United States and strategic uncertainty are pushing close US partners to cautiously reset relations with Beijing
Western allies are recalibrating their approach to China, signalling a notable shift in global alignments as friction with Washington grows under President Donald Trump. From Canada to Europe, governments traditionally anchored to the United States are testing pragmatic engagement with Beijing, despite long-standing concerns over security, trade imbalances and human rights.
China’s leader, Xi Jinping, has in recent weeks hosted a succession of Western leaders seeking warmer ties with the world’s second-largest economy. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney secured a deal lowering tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in exchange for improved access for Canadian agricultural exports, while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer travelled to Beijing to repair relations after years of strain. Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected to follow next month, alongside similar outreach by leaders from Finland, Ireland, and France.
The diplomatic activity reflects mounting unease among US allies over trade disputes, tariff threats and broader political uncertainty since Trump returned to office. Several governments have clashed with Washington over protectionist measures, while Trump’s remarks about asserting control over Greenland — a territory linked to NATO ally Denmark — have deepened concerns in Europe about strategic unpredictability.
“We’re engaging broadly, strategically with open eyes,” Carney said at the World Economic Forum in Davos after returning from Beijing, underscoring a sentiment increasingly shared across Europe: that allies must adapt to a more transactional and less predictable US posture.
A shift, but not a pivot
While some US lawmakers warn that renewed engagement with China risks weakening Western unity, European officials argue the move is less about embracing Beijing and more about hedging against pressure from both superpowers. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, cautioned this week that Washington risks “pushing its closest allies into China’s arms.”
Trump himself criticised Starmer’s Beijing visit as “very dangerous” and warned Canada against deepening economic ties with China — even as he is expected to visit Beijing later this year.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has acknowledged that China poses a long-term challenge, particularly through what she describes as coercive economic practices. Still, she has argued that Europe must diversify its partnerships rather than rely solely on Washington.
Analysts say Europe’s recalibration is driven by a growing belief that both Washington and Beijing are willing to use economic and political leverage to advance their interests.
“It’s not a China pivot,” said Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs. “It’s a pivot toward fending for Europe as a bloc.”
Beijing’s opportunity — and limits
China, for its part, has increasingly engaged European capitals directly rather than through EU institutions, seeking to preserve access to wealthy consumer markets while offering limited concessions to European firms. “They need Europe, but they don’t need to fight for Europe,” said Alicia Garcia Herrero, an economist at French investment bank Natixis.
Recent developments — including US pressure over Greenland and China’s controls on rare-earth exports — have reinforced European perceptions that the continent faces pressure from two assertive powers.
“There is a growing understanding that we face two major powers that are not shy to bully the EU,” said Tim Rühlig of the European Union Institute for Security Studies.
A fragmented West?
Canada’s policy shift illustrates the broader trend. After aligning with Washington in 2024 to impose steep tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, Ottawa reversed course under Carney, describing renewed trade with China as “more predictable” than relations with the US. Trump responded with fresh tariff threats, which Carney dismissed as bluster.
Across Europe, similar calculations are underway. Starmer’s visit yielded trade concessions and visa-free travel arrangements, while Finland and others paired economic cooperation with calls for progress on human rights and global security issues. Germany’s Merz is expected to press Beijing on trade deficits and Europe’s dependence on Chinese critical minerals.
As more US allies edge closer to Beijing, analysts warn of widening cracks in the Western alliance. “It will be impossible for the US and Western countries to unite around a single approach to China,” said Scott Kennedy of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
For now, allies appear to be betting that cautious engagement with China — even at the risk of US displeasure — is preferable to strategic isolation in an increasingly multipolar world.
