China hopes Europe will make rational choice as transatlantic alliance shifts

BEIJING - The European Union should safeguard its interests and make the rational choice of turning further towards China given the uncertainty generated by the new administration in the United States, Chinas state-run Global Times said in an editorial.

The EUs trade chief, Maros Sefcovic, is in Beijing this week after visiting the United States on Tuesday to soothe ties strained this month when both sides threatened retaliatory counter tariffs on goods worth billions of dollars.

On Wednesday, a day after Sefcovics visit, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would impose new tariffs on imported vehicles in a move that would batter European automakers, particularly German car producers, which count on the United States for almost 25% of their auto exports.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the U.S. decision was bad for businesses, worse for consumers, and that the EU would continue to seek negotiated solutions while safeguarding its economic interests.

As the uncertainty of U.S. policy increases, China, as a major global power, is becoming increasingly prominent for its stability and reliability, the Global Times, a nationalist tabloid, wrote in the editorial published late on Wednesday.

Sefcovic is expected to raise concerns on the EU-China trade imbalance, as well as longstanding challenges faced by European companies operating in China, including a lack of reciprocal access to procurement opportunities, market access barriers and issues related to cross-border data transfer, according to European Union Chamber of Commerce in China President Jens Eskelund.

But Sefcovic is also likely to stress the growing importance of strengthening EU-China relations, particularly in the context of the EU Single Market being a major export destination for Chinese goods, Eskelund said.

The EU trade chief spoke at a European Chamber event in Beijing, according to pictures posted on his social media account on Thursday.