Opinion | How a ‘G3’ mechanism could reset US-China-EU relations and tackle global challenges

During the past two years, in-person academic exchange between China and Europe has ground to a halt because of the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions on travel in and out of China.

It was the first trip to Europe by a Chinese think tank delegation since the pandemic began and part of a global engagement tour that also took us to New York, Washington, Seoul and Singapore. My last visit to Europe was for the Munich Security Conference in February 2020, which turned out to be one of the last major gatherings of global policymakers before cross-border travel ceased because of the pandemic.

Since then, Europe’s political landscape and views of China have shifted significantly. Angela Merkel, who for 16 years as German chancellor was Europe’s leading proponent of stronger ties with China, has left the scene. Her replacement Olaf Scholz and the coalition government he leads seem determined to pursue a harder line on China.

The issue of human rights in Xinjiang has also become more contentious and led the European Union and China to impose sanctions on each other. These sanctions are up for renewal this year and we hope both sides can find a way to drop them.

The war in Ukraine was a dominant topic of our discussions. Across Europe, it has caused a rethink of foreign policy and further soured perceptions of China, given the widely held view that Beijing has not done enough to oppose Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion.