Europe looks with concern at the Beijing summit between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President, Donald Trump. Regardless of the conclusions of this meeting, there are few reasons for EU officials in Brussels to be optimistic, Euronews reports.
The greatest concern is related to the prospect in which the EU risks ending up “crushed” between the two superpowers – China and the US – in case Beijing and Washington manage to conclude contracts in vital areas such as technology, trade, energy, and security. In such a scenario, “European interests” become entirely “secondary” (if not irrelevant) in Brussels’ relationship with Washington or Beijing.
In practice, as shown in the Euronews analysis, Europe is looking at this summit from a “lose-lose” stance (in which it loses, regardless of the decisions made).
The main concern in Brussels and Berlin is the survival of the European industry, which essentially depends on rare metals/earths.
In this field, China continues to dominate the supply chains for critical minerals used in a wide range of products, from electric cars to semiconductors, and with various applications, from “green technologies” to defense systems.
European officials fear that a US-China agreement in this field would prioritize American access to China’s rare mineral resources, while Europe would continue to remain exposed to export restrictions and vulnerable in the event of a crisis outbreak.
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