Commentary
Mid-February marked the resumption of what used to be the biannual European Union-China human rights dialogue. The Munich security conference also took place on Feb. 17–19, with China playing a key role.
These are but two of several steps being taken by Beijing to convince the EU and wider Europe that it is changing its foreign policy, seeking better and more stable ties with the EU, and all the while pretending to believe that the EU can and should be a major power on its own and should sever its ties with the United States. In fact, the Chinese delegation focused most of its time accusing the United States of jeopardizing European security, and seeking to drive a wedge between Washington and the EU, all under the euphemism of supporting European “strategic autonomy.”…