Opinion | China cannot support Russia and hope to woo Europe away from the US

It is no secret Beijing would like very much to drive a wedge between Europe and the United States. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Europe in May – especially his meetings with Nato-sceptic leaders in Hungary and Serbia – suggests he thinks this is a real possibility.

But if China is to have a serious chance, it needs to understand why Europe as a whole – particularly Nato members – have remained so closely aligned with the United States for so long. Above all, Beijing needs to abandon any notion that these European governments are Washington’s “vassals”, that they would trade America for China if they would just somehow realise how much better off they would be.

European governments have allied with the US because they see it as being in their interests. They value the US for providing protection against a hostile Russia. This is something Europeans cannot do as credibly and effectively on their own. Russia’s war against Ukraine and its activities in Africa have only heightened European fear of Moscow.

China could, for example, call for an immediate ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war, the withdrawal of all Russian forces from internationally recognised Ukrainian territory and the end of all Chinese trade with Russia until these steps are completed.