EU–US–China Security Relations

This chapter examines the prospects for European Union (EU)–United States (US) security cooperation in relation to China. I argue that since the 2005 melee over European arms sales to China and amidst rising US–China rivalry, Washington’s ability to coordinate security cooperation with European capitals on China has been declining. China’s rising trade power, the decline of shared liberal norms/transatlantic trust, and key EU states’ preference for maintaining privileged relationships with China are key factors that militate against effective US–EU coordination on China. Russian aggression in Ukraine has complicated the picture. Beijing has not outrightly supported Moscow, but neither has it joined the Western-led sanctions nor condemned the Russian action as a violation of international law. The EU has begun to see China not only as a partner, but also as a competitor and ‘systemic rival’. But its long-term view of China and its approach to Beijing remain more sanguine than Washington’s. Keywords: China; security; trade; climate change; transatlantic relations; United States