China hopes Europe will make 'rational choice' as transatlantic alliance shifts

The European Union should safeguard its interests and make the "rational choice" of turning further towards China given the uncertainty generated by the new administration in the United States, China's state-run Global Times said in an editorial.

The EU's trade chief, Maros Sefcovic, is due to land in China this week after visiting the United States on Tuesday to soothe ties strained this month when both sides threatened retaliatory counter tariffs on goods worth billions of dollars.

On Wednesday, a day after Sefcovic's visit, US President Donald Trump said he would impose new tariffs on imported vehicles in a move that would batter European automakers, particularly German car producers, which count on the United States for almost 25% of their auto exports.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the US decision was "bad for businesses, worse for consumers," and that the EU would continue to seek negotiated solutions while safeguarding its economic interests.

"As the uncertainty of US policy increases, China, as a major global power, is becoming increasingly prominent for its stability and reliability," the Global Times, a nationalist tabloid, wrote in the editorial published late on Wednesday.

Sefcovic is expected to raise concerns on the EU-China trade imbalance, as well as longstanding challenges faced by European companies operating in China, including a lack of reciprocal access to procurement opportunities, market access barriers and issues related to cross-border data transfer, according to European Union Chamber of Commerce in China President Jens Eskelund.

But Sefcovic is also likely to stress "the growing importance of strengthening EU-China relations, particularly in the context of the EU Single Market being a major export destination for Chinese goods," Eskelund said.

Sefcovic is one of several senior European officials to visit China this week, including the foreign ministers of France and Portugal.

Meeting Portugal's top diplomat on Tuesday, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing supported Europe in "maintaining its strategic autonomy" and would work with Portugal to improve China-Europe ties.

China has also been hit with sweeping US sanctions and has announced its own countermeasures.

"Facing a rapidly changing international landscape, Europe should adopt a pragmatic approach and develop its relations with China in a more balanced way, making a rational choice to turn further towards China," the Global Times said.