Foreign PolicyForeign Policy

The European Union Is Turning on China

By Elettra Ardissino and Eyck Freymann

23 Jun 2022 · 3 min read

Editor's Note

After Russia invaded Ukraine, the idea of “change through trade”—that the EU could foster peace through trade relations—lost all credibility. That now means big consequences for relations with China.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has driven a wedge between the European Union and China, and for the first time in the history of their relationship**,** Brussels is ready to go on the offensive.

The world’s second and third-largest economies have been at loggerheads since March 2021, when the European Parliament halted ratification of the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment over human rights concerns. But since Russian forces entered Ukraine on Feb. 24, relations have cratered, and there seems to be little prospect of any reconciliation.

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