Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and China’s leader Xi Jinping met for a meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on July 29, 2024. The meeting comes at a time when European countries are reevaluating their relationships with both the United States and China. As Donald Trump continues to erode trust in America among European leaders, China is seizing the opportunity to offer stability and consistency, whether that’s all they have to offer or not.
European Union leaders are apparently gearing up to jet off to Beijing for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping later in July. The British military head also made a surprise visit to Beijing, announced only by China’s government. During a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Xi stressed the need for China and the EU to uphold their international duties, protect economic globalization, and resist unilateral practices. But can European countries really maintain a strong bond with China in the face of concerns about Chinese overcapacity and human rights violations by the Communist Party? Is the world heading towards a split from the U.S. and a deepening of ties, or even a reconnection, with China? It’s all up in the air.
