Seki Hei examines Xi Jinping’s attempt to position China and Europe as “two major powers, two major markets, and two major civilizations” capable of jointly leading the world.
However, after China deepened conflicts with the United States, India, Australia, Japan, and other countries through its “wolf warrior diplomacy,” EU leaders showed no support for Xi’s proposal, suggesting that Europe may instead move further away from China in defense of freedom and democracy.

July 3, 2020
Some European countries may certainly wish to deepen their relations with China for economic gain, but Europe as a whole is highly unlikely to cooperate with China as the “major power” envisioned by President Xi.
The following is taken from Seki Hei’s regular column entitled “Overtures to Europe—President Xi’s Unrequited Love,” published in yesterday’s Sankei Shimbun.
On the 22nd of last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping held a video conference with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
During the meeting, President Xi presented a new concept concerning the relationship between China and Europe.
According to Xi, “China and Europe should become the two major powers that preserve global stability and peace, the two major markets that drive global development and prosperity, and the two major civilizations that uphold multilateralism and promote global stability.”
President Xi had previously and repeatedly advocated the “construction of a comprehensive partnership” between China and Europe.
However, during the meeting described above, he for the first time positioned China and Europe as “two major powers, two major markets, and two major civilizations,” and expressed the view that they should cooperate in leading future international politics and the global economy.
Since this was a meeting with European leaders, President Xi made no reference whatsoever to the superpower United States or to Japan.
However, judging by the way he repeatedly invoked the word “two” and insisted that China and Europe were the world’s “two major powers, two major markets, and two major civilizations,” one gained the strong impression that the United States and Japan no longer existed in his field of vision.
His remarks suggested a conviction that, as long as China and Europe joined hands, the world would naturally become stable and prosperous.
Behind President Xi’s decision to send such a message to European leaders and the world were undoubtedly the steadily deepening conflict between the United States and China and the global movement toward “decoupling from China,” which this column discussed on May 21.
Relations between the United States and China have become increasingly confrontational over the South China Sea, trade, Hong Kong, and the human rights of the Uyghur people.
The movement away from China in both politics and economics has advanced to the point that U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly raised the possibility of “complete decoupling from China.”
Meanwhile, China has recently intensified tensions by engaging in a quasi-military clash with India, a major Asian power, and by threatening Australia.
China is also in the process of deepening its confrontation with neighboring Japan over what may be called the Senkaku Islands issue.
As a result of pursuing this “four-front offensive” of wolf warrior diplomacy, China has turned many of the world’s major countries against it and has instead accelerated moves around the world to reduce dependence on China.
When one looks closely, it is China itself that has become increasingly isolated.
It is precisely because China finds itself in such difficult circumstances that President Xi is now making the most extravagant overtures to Europe and attempting to pursue a “strategy” of joining with Europe to oppose the United States and “dominate” the world.
Of course, however, there is a strong possibility that this will end as nothing more than President Xi’s unrequited love.
Some European countries may certainly wish to deepen their relations with China for economic gain.
However, Europe as a whole is highly unlikely to cooperate with China as the “major power” envisioned by President Xi.
Indeed, even according to the Chinese announcement, European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who participated in the meeting with President Xi, showed no reaction whatsoever to his key phrase, “two major powers, two major markets, and two major civilizations.”
At a press conference following the meeting, President von der Leyen went so far as to criticize cyberattacks originating from China and express concern over the Hong Kong national security law being advanced by Beijing.
Contrary to President Xi’s calculations, if Europe returns to the universal values of freedom and democracy, it is likely to move further away from China in the future.