Europe and the US are in the process of exploring a new relationship pattern, said Yu Xiang, a scholar at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, writing for news portal
The Paper.
US President Donald Trump is expected to continue his tough stance against Europe in trade and strengthen its ties with the UK in a move to divide the continent, according to Yu. Trump’s stance will also likely lead Europe to pursue greater independence in the relationship with the US, said the scholar.
In the meantime, Europe will seek closer ties with other countries, emerging economies in particular. Europe has come to realize that emerging countries will provide an opportunity for the continent to recover its former glory. It will be able to increase its global influence by enhancing cooperation with emerging countries over issues like the Iran nuclear deal and climate change.
Yet Europe’s attitude toward emerging countries is not entirely positive, as it feels threatened on one hand and seeks to contain their rise on the other, Yu said.
China has been a priority of Europe’s foreign diplomacy. With cooperation spanning trade, security and the environment, the China-Europe relationship is defined by the scholar as a strategic partnership that is applicable for global governance.
Old Version
