The Triangular Relationship Between the European Union, China, And the United States

Abstract

As one of the world’s three major economic entities, the European Union (EU) has an unstable triangular relationship of economic interdependence with the other two economic giants, China and the United States. Over the past few decades, the relationship between China and Europe has been described by many media as a “downward spiral” and reached its lowest point with the freezing of the China-EU Comprehensive Trade Agreement in 2021. Human rights accusations, ideological conflicts, industrial competition, and national defense and security have become the main causes of resistance and friction in China-EU relations in recent years, causing Europe to gradually distance itself from China in the triangular relationship and move closer to the United States and NATO. However, since the downturn of the world economy and the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the United States has frequently sacrificed the interests of its European allies to protect its own, leading to disagreements between EU member states, the European Commission, and the European Parliament on China-related issues, creating signs of warming up in China-EU relations.