Europe must really confront China now: delay is no longer an option
Europe's China policy needs to respond more clearly to coercion, strategic dependencies and the changing nature of the relationship.
Read →Europe should resist a world of binary choices and spheres of influence.
Much of today's geopolitical debate assumes a world dividing into rival blocs. But the world is fluid and many countries do not want to choose between Washington and Beijing, or between competing geopolitical camps.
Europe should understand that instinct. The more important divide is not between geopolitical blocs, but between a world in which power is constrained by agreed rules and one in which the strong impose their will. Many countries have an interest in avoiding a descent into coercion and spheres of influence.
This means developing relationships, particularly with countries seeking greater room for manoeuvre, and building a shared agenda around agency and agreed rules.
My first commentary after becoming Director of the EUISS set out four choices facing Europe as it adjusted to a world increasingly shaped by geopolitical competition.
Read the publication →Europe's China policy needs to respond more clearly to coercion, strategic dependencies and the changing nature of the relationship.
Read →When diplomatic space opens, Europe should have the confidence to occupy it rather than waiting for others to determine events.
Read →More than twenty years earlier, Iran posed a related question: could Europe combine diplomatic engagement with sufficient political leverage to affect strategic outcomes?
Read →