Ever since US President Donald Trump came back to power in January 2025, his administration has announced a series of measures aimed at making America great again. From introducing “Liberation Day” tariffs to the crackdown on illegal migration in the country, and his recent plan of annexing Greenland, the Trump administration’s hard stance has resulted in several of its allies and rivals coming together and looking away from Washington.
At the recently concluded Munich Security Conference 2026, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi took the stage to woo Europe. Speaking at the conference, Yi said, “China and the EU are partners, not rivals.”
US, China woo Europe
Yi’s remarks came as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed that Europe and the United States belong together in a conciliatory speech aimed at reassuring Europe that the Trump administration is committed to the alliance, cnn reported. He further said that Washington believes Europe needs to do more to support it and added that the current international system should be “rebuilt”.
On the other hand, pitching to Europe was Yi, who said, “As long as we firmly grasp this point, we will be able to make the right choices in the face of challenges, prevent the international community from moving toward division, and promote the continuous progress of human civilization.”
The double bill of Rubio and Yi comes at a time as an overhaul of Washington’s foreign policy has shaken up America’s longstanding bonds with its Western allies, who have now openly declared that the era of US-backed global security and rules is over.
Commenting on the international system, which Rubio says the US wants to be rebuilt, Yi said that problems with the current international system did not lie primarily with the United Nations (UN), but “certain countries that magnify differences, pursue a country-first approach, engage in bloc confrontation and revive Cold War thinking.”
He further added that China and Europe should together reject “unilateral practices” and safeguard free trade, rather than engage in bloc confrontation.
US-China ties
It is worth noting that Yi’s pitch to Europe comes as Beijing also seeks to maintain its ties with Washington ahead of a possible Trump visit to China. Beijing wishes to maintain peace in ties with the US after witnessing turmoil in 2025 following the trade tariffs announced.
While Yi expressed confidence in the prospects of US-China relations, he warned that the ties could go awry. He said that there were two different prospects for the bilateral ties: one of which is where Washington can “understand China reasonably” and cooperate, and another in which the US seeks decoupling, opposes China in a “knee-jerk way,” and steps on China’s “red lines,” including on Taiwan. According to Yi, the latter path would likely “push China and the United States toward conflict.”
Why is China pitching to Europe?
According to the report, Beijing has long sought to promote its vision of a world no longer dominated by US-led alliances and more friendly to its own interests. And to promote that, it sees Europe as a crucial pole that should not readily side with Washington.
Is Europe accepting China’s pitch?
However, the report suggests that Europe might be a hard audience for China’s pitch, with European leaders continuing to be concerned over a widening trade deficit with China and its dominance over key strategic supply chains.
Further, the ties between Europe and China have also been strained for quite some time now after China backed Russia in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022. The European leaders have also grown wary of increasing Chinese aggression in the South China Sea and around Taiwan.
Despite these concerns, Beijing sees Europe opening up as Western leaders adjust their policies amid a shifting relationship with Washington.
Several Western leaders in recent years have made official visits to China aimed at deepening cooperation and dialogue with Beijing.
