Western nations are increasingly courting China as volatility in US trade policy under Donald Trump drives a search for more predictable economic partners.
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer is the latest Western leader to visit Beijing, aiming to promote “pragmatic” cooperation, following similar trips by leaders from Canada, Ireland, France, and Finland. Analysts say these visits reflect a scramble to secure Chinese investment and market access ahead of the China-US summits scheduled for February and April.
“There is a race among European leaders to meet Xi Jinping,” said Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, director of the European Centre for International Political Economy to AFP. “This is largely driven by the need to secure investments and access markets before the next US-China discussions.”
US trade unpredictability is a key factor in the pivot. William Alan Reinsch of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies described Trump’s tariff measures as signaling that the United States is “no longer a reliable trading partner,” pushing European nations and others toward Beijing.
During his visit, Starmer told Xi that strengthening UK-China relations was “vital,” while Xi stressed the importance of deepening ties amid global geopolitical headwinds. Despite tensions following Beijing’s 2020 Hong Kong national security law, China remains Britain’s third-largest trading partner, underscoring the economic rationale behind the renewed engagement.
The European Union is also seeking stronger ties, even as it grapples with a $350 billion trade deficit with China. Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin called for “open trade,” while French President Emmanuel Macron highlighted the imbalance during a December visit.
Elsewhere, Canada signed a preliminary trade deal with China to reduce tariffs on canola seed and agreed to import 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles under preferential rates. Experts caution, however, that such deals could be perceived as softening on national security concerns tied to China.
Analysts argue that global trade patterns are shifting as nations hedge against US unpredictability. “Half of global economic growth comes from the United States or China,” Lee-Makiyama noted, adding that Europe has little choice but to engage Beijing to secure investment and market access.
For now, the trend underscores a widening rift in traditional Western alliances, with leaders balancing economic opportunity against geopolitical concerns, even as the US remains a major trading partner.
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