Europe Flexes on China in a Recasting of Its Global Role

China’s flag flies outside EU offices in Brussels last year.

Photographer: Geert Vanden Wijngaert/Bloomberg

Europe has always punched below its weight in the geopolitical ring. But with the transatlantic relationship fraying, it’s now relying on its trade clout to redefine its position as a global leader.

And nowhere is that more evident than in its complicated ties to China.