CGTN: Europe on its Own Terms: Adapting a New Global Reality

Facing this strategic shift, Europe is actively exploring diversified global partnerships to ensure stability and growth. Former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi also highlighted that "China and Europe together make more than one-third of all world trade." He warned against isolation, stating "if we don't stick together...we go into a certain depression."

 

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The potential for cooperation spans critical domains. In science, collaboration has evolved into a two-way street between China and European peers. The EU's 'Choose Europe' package, a 500-million-euro incentive to attract global scientific talent, also contrasts with funding uncertainties in the United States, creating new avenues for scientific talents. On the green transition, synergies are evident. China's leadership in clean-energy industries complements Europe's Green Deal ambitions, presenting a vast cooperative canvas.

 

Yet, this reorientation is complex. Europe needs to balance its deep historical and economic ties with the United States with the opportunities presented by a rising China. Professor Cui Hongjian of Beijing Foreign Studies University noted the EU's dilemma, finding it "very difficult to make a clear choice between China and the US." Jens Eskelund, President of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, advocated for a relationship judged on its own merits. "We shouldn't let our relationship be defined by a third party."

 

The path to act on its own terms is further complicated by new economic realities. China's rapid advancement has altered dynamics. "The perspective on who is learning from whom has been dramatically changing," said Professor Eberhard Sandschneider of the Free University of Berlin. This new reality has spurred debates on "derisking", which leaders caution could fragment supply chains, increase costs, and forsake mutual benefits. Alex Frederiksen, CEO of Vivino, advised focusing on long-term practical matters over short-term headlines, saying China is "unbeatable" in terms of density of high-quality companies.

 

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Ultimately, European leaders are tasked with navigating a fundamental strategic question. Romano Prodi argued that the relationship must evolve from being neither enemies nor brothers toward becoming "equal partners and almost brothers."

Sumber: media outreach newswire