Chinese elites' framing of Europe is complex and multifaceted, revolving primarily around its utility as a useful balancing power against the U.S. and an essential economic partner, rather than simply a declining partner or a direct rival.

China’s strategic narrative on the European Union (EU) is carefully constructed to serve Beijing's overarching foreign policy goal of promoting a multipolar world order, which inherently seeks to diminish the dominance of the United States.

While elements of perceived European decline and systemic rivalry exist, they are often overshadowed by the desire to foster a cooperative relationship that can act as a counterweight to Washington.

Europe as a Useful Balancing Power Against the U.S.

The most prominent and consistent framing of Europe by Chinese elites, especially in official discourse and strategic think tanks, is that of a valuable balancing force in global affairs.

The Strategy of Multipolarity

China strongly advocates for a "multipolar world" and views the EU as a key pole in this emerging structure, alongside China itself, Russia, and other major powers. This view is central to China's desire to manage and dilute American global influence.

• Counterweight to Unilateralism: Chinese officials frequently express support for European strategic autonomy, encouraging the EU to act independently and resist U.S. pressure to form a cohesive, anti-China bloc. By promoting a strong, independent Europe, Beijing hopes to prevent a unified transatlantic front from emerging on issues like trade, technology, and human rights.

• Dividing the West: A key strategic objective for Beijing is to prevent the U.S. and the EU from fully aligning their China policies. By maintaining strong economic and political ties with Europe, China aims to exploit existing transatlantic divergences, making it harder for Washington to rally its allies for collective action against Beijing.

• Shared Interests in Global Governance: Beijing highlights areas of shared interest with the EU, such as support for multilateralism, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. By emphasizing these points of cooperation, Chinese elites frame Europe as a natural partner in upholding a global system that both sides believe the U.S. has undermined through unilateral actions.

Rhetorical Encouragement for Strategic Autonomy

Chinese state media and diplomats often praise the concept of European "strategic autonomy," framing it as a necessary and mature step for a great power. This rhetoric is a thinly veiled plea for Europe to distance itself from U.S. foreign policy dictates. They suggest that Europe’s true interests lie in charting its own course, independent of Washington's strategic competition with Beijing.

Europe as an Indispensable Economic Partner

Beyond geopolitics, the most concrete and practical framing of Europe is as a core economic partner. This partnership is the bedrock of the relationship, which Beijing seeks to solidify as a "safety pin" for its own global economic integration.

• Largest Trade Partner: Historically and currently, the EU remains one of China's largest trading partners. This sheer volume of trade makes it impossible for Chinese elites to frame Europe purely as a rival. The economic relationship is seen as a crucial source of market access, advanced technology, and a necessary engine for China's continued development.

• The "De-risking" Pushback: China has strongly opposed the EU's recent adoption of a "de-risking" strategy, which aims to reduce critical dependencies on China. Chinese elites frame this as a misguided, U.S.-driven protectionist trend that would harm global free trade and, ultimately, Europe's own economic prosperity. Their response is to push for deeper mutual economic interdependence to discourage the EU from following the U.S. path of technological "decoupling."

• Investment and Infrastructure: China views European countries, particularly Germany and France, as crucial targets for investment and for anchoring its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Europe. The economic relationship is thus seen as a tool for cementing long-term political goodwill and influence within the bloc.

Europe as a Declining and Internally Divided Power

A third, more subtle, and often academic or internal, framing among Chinese elites is that of Europe as a power facing internal decline and strategic fragmentation. This perception contributes to a degree of Chinese confidence and a sense that China is dealing with a less unified and therefore less formidable entity.

• Post-Crisis Fragility: Crises like the sovereign debt crisis, Brexit, and the uneven handling of the COVID-19 pandemic have been highlighted in some Chinese analysis as signs of the EU's institutional fragility and decreasing normative attractiveness. This is sometimes coupled with a narrative of China's superior governance model and relative rise in global influence.

• Internal Political Divisions: Chinese strategists are acutely aware of the deep divisions among the 27 EU member states on foreign policy, particularly concerning China. This lack of a single, coherent voice allows Beijing to employ a "divide and conquer" strategy, engaging in bilateral diplomacy with individual member states (like Germany, France, or Eastern European countries) to circumvent coordinated EU-level action.

• Security Dependence: The continued reliance of many European countries on the U.S. for hard security is noted as a fundamental constraint on European strategic autonomy. While Chinese elites wish for a truly autonomous Europe, they also observe that U.S. security guarantees often force Europe to align with Washington on key geopolitical issues, thus limiting the EU's reliability as a neutral partner.

Europe as a Systemic Rival: The Ideological Dimension

While generally preferring the "partner" or "balancing power" labels, the framing of Europe as a "systemic rival" is a forced acknowledgment of the EU's own 2019 designation of China as a "systemic rival, economic competitor, and cooperation partner."

• Ideological Divergence: The 'systemic rival' element centers on irreconcilable differences in political systems, ideologies, and values. When the EU raises issues like human rights in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, or Tibet, Chinese elites view this as ideological interference rooted in a competitive liberal-democratic worldview. This is framed as an ideological contest rather than a direct military or economic rivalry.

• Protecting Core Interests: This framing emerges strongly when the EU takes defensive measures, such as imposing sanctions (as over Xinjiang) or using trade instruments to investigate Chinese subsidies (e.g., on electric vehicles). In these instances, the Chinese elite narrative pivots to accuse the EU of protectionism and bloc confrontation, reflecting a competitive stance.

• The Ukraine War's Impact: Europe's firm, collective response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's subsequent "no-limits" partnership with Moscow has introduced a profound new source of strategic rivalry. Chinese elites struggle to reconcile their desire for European strategic independence with the reality of a Europe whose security priority is now diametrically opposed to one of China's closest allies. This has made the 'systemic rival' element of the EU's framing more salient in Beijing’s calculus.

In summary, Chinese elites frame Europe as a crucial, multi-faceted actor in the evolving international order, not a single static concept.

The overwhelming priority is the first two—leveraging Europe as a balancer and an economic lifeline. The others represent challenges or constraints that must be managed. The complexity reflects the fact that Europe, for China, is a major strategic prize in its long-term competition with the United States for global influence.