China is attracting attention for its dual strategy in response to the oversupply issues raised by the United States and the European Union (EU). While it has announced the introduction of new tariff laws to counteract the high tariff measures of the West, it is sending love calls to the EU, with Chinese President Xi Jinping selecting it as his first overseas tour destination this year. In contrast, it gives high alert to the United States with high-intensity maneuvers. When the muscular tension with the United States continues, which is in a global hegemony competition, it is interpreted as an intention to create a rift by targeting the weak link of European countries that rely on China highly for their economy.
According to the Chinese state-run English newspaper Global Times on the 1st, Lin Jian, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, criticized at a regular briefing on the 30th of last month, “The US’s criticism of China’s overproduction is not a market-driven conclusion but a story to manipulate perception and politicize trade, and the real purpose is to obstruct China’s high-quality development and deprive China of its legitimate development rights.” The Global Times pointed out that the claim of China’s overproduction stemmed from the US’s lack of confidence and anxiety arising from criticism of China.
Although China’s criticism of the United States increased, it sent conciliatory gestures to European countries. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, President Xi will visit France, Serbia, and Hungary from the 5th to the 10th. This is President Xi’s first overseas tour this year and his first visit to European countries in about five years. A professor at the Shanghai International Studies University’s European Union Research Center said, “As Chinese leadership emphasizes how importantly they consider Europe, we can comprehend the important meaning China has for Europe in its global strategy and foreign economic policy.”
During his European tour, President Xi is expected to attempt to break down China’s containment by using economic cooperation as a weapon. He will exploit the weakness that European countries, while appearing to participate in the US’s containment of China, still need economic cooperation with China. France, celebrating the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations with China this year, continues to maintain close diplomacy with China despite sending continuous warnings to China to support Russia bypassing France.
President Xi is expected to strengthen economic cooperation with France in agriculture and nuclear power and sign a contract to purchase Airbus aircraft. During President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to China last year, China presented a bundle of gifts by signing large contracts with Airbus and Alstom.
Serbia and Hungary have been supporting China, which is countering the West, by participating in the forum individually last year. The professor predicted, “President Xi’s visit this time could help alleviate Europe’s concerns about China to some extent and ease Europe’s de-risking tendency towards China.”
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