The European Parliament has called for a tougher and more balanced approach towards China, combining continued engagement with stronger measures to protect European economic and security interests.
Lawmakers adopted a recommendation on EU-China relations by 454 votes to 86, with 110 abstentions, reflecting growing concern in Europe over trade imbalances, Chinese industrial overcapacity, access to critical resources, espionage and Beijing’s position on Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The vote comes at a sensitive time for relations between Brussels and Beijing, with European officials seeking greater access to the Chinese market while also trying to reduce strategic dependence on China in sectors considered important to the European economy and security.
At the center of the European Parliament’s position is the demand for greater economic reciprocity. Lawmakers have argued that European companies should have fairer access to the Chinese market and that the European Union should be prepared to respond if Beijing continues to restrict market access.
The issue has become particularly important as Chinese exports and state-supported industrial production put pressure on European manufacturers. Concerns extend across sectors including steel, automobiles, electric vehicles, batteries, semiconductors and other strategically important industries.
European lawmakers are also concerned about the wider consequences of China’s industrial policies. They have called for action to address excess production capacity and subsidies that, in their view, can give Chinese manufacturers an advantage in international markets.
The European Parliament has therefore backed a broader strategy of economic de-risking. Rather than completely ending commercial relations with China, the approach seeks to reduce excessive dependence in areas where disruption could affect Europe’s economic or strategic security.
Critical raw materials and strategic industries
Critical raw materials are another major concern. China plays an important role in the global supply chains for a number of minerals and materials used in batteries, electronics, renewable-energy technologies and advanced manufacturing.
European lawmakers have called for measures to reduce vulnerabilities in these supply chains and strengthen Europe’s ability to obtain essential materials from a wider range of countries.
The same approach has been extended to pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, batteries, electric vehicles, information and communications technology, quantum computing and semiconductors. The objective is to make European supply chains more resilient while retaining the ability to trade and cooperate with China.
The European Parliament has also supported strengthening the EU’s Global Gateway initiative, particularly in Africa and Latin America, as a way of providing an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Taiwan becomes part of the wider security debate
The European position also carries a message on Taiwan.
The resolution reaffirmed the EU’s existing One China policy but opposed any unilateral attempt to alter the status quo across the Taiwan Strait through force or coercion. European lawmakers have argued that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are directly relevant to Europe’s economic and strategic interests.
The issue is significant because the Taiwan Strait is an important international shipping and trade route. Any major disruption could have consequences well beyond East Asia, particularly for global supply chains and European economies that depend on Asian manufacturing and trade.
The parliamentary recommendation has also called for stronger European resilience against potential security threats in the region. Reporting on the vote said lawmakers supported maintaining a European naval presence and conducting joint exercises around the Taiwan Strait, adding a security dimension to what has traditionally been viewed primarily as a diplomatic and economic issue.
The language does not amount to a change in the EU’s formal One China policy. Instead, it signals concern about any attempt to change the existing situation through coercion or military force.
Espionage and foreign interference
Security concerns extend beyond Taiwan.
European lawmakers have called for stronger safeguards against espionage, cyberattacks, foreign interference and hybrid threats. The concerns include the protection of sensitive technologies, critical infrastructure and strategically important industries.
The issue of Chinese investment in sensitive European infrastructure has also attracted greater scrutiny, particularly where investments could potentially affect ports, energy networks, telecommunications or other critical systems.
For European governments, the challenge is increasingly viewed as one of economic security as well as conventional national security. The concern is that ownership, access to technology or dependence on a single foreign supplier could create vulnerabilities during a political or economic dispute.
This has encouraged calls for tighter investment screening and greater protection of sensitive technologies.
China’s relationship with Russia
Another major source of tension is China’s relationship with Russia.
The European Parliament has described China as a significant enabler of Russia’s war effort and has urged Beijing to use its influence to help bring the conflict in Ukraine to an end.
European lawmakers have also expressed concern over Chinese diplomatic and material support for Russia and allegations that Chinese companies have supplied components or technologies that can contribute to Russia’s military-industrial capabilities.
This has increasingly connected the EU’s China policy with its broader approach to the war in Ukraine.
For Brussels, the issue is no longer limited to trade. China’s position on Russia, along with questions surrounding technology transfers and strategic supply chains, has become part of the European debate over economic and national security.
Europe does not want a complete break with China
Despite the tougher language, the European Parliament’s position does not call for a complete economic separation from China.
The recommendation stresses the importance of continued dialogue and cooperation on issues such as climate change, global health, multilateralism, peace and security and human rights
The emerging European approach is therefore closer to de-risking than decoupling.
European lawmakers want to reduce vulnerabilities while maintaining areas where cooperation remains possible. This reflects the scale of the economic relationship between the EU and China and the difficulty of quickly replacing Chinese suppliers across major industrial sectors.
The parliamentary recommendation also calls for continued engagement on human rights, including concerns relating to forced labour, repression and policies in Tibet and Xinjiang. Lawmakers have additionally called for the release of political prisoners.
Trade talks add urgency
The parliamentary vote came just as EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič was travelling to Beijing for talks aimed at addressing the growing trade imbalance between the two sides.
The European Union has been seeking concrete progress from Beijing on market access and trade relations. The talks are taking place against the backdrop of a substantial EU trade deficit with China and growing pressure on European industries from Chinese imports.
The timing of the parliamentary vote therefore gives the EU’s trade discussions an additional political dimension.
European officials are effectively trying to pursue two objectives at the same time: maintaining commercial engagement with one of the world’s largest economies while reducing vulnerabilities that could leave European industries or governments exposed to economic pressure.
A more assertive European position
The vote represents a tougher political message from the European Parliament, although it does not by itself change EU foreign or trade policy.
The recommendation is directed at the European Commission, the Council and other EU institutions. Its significance lies in demonstrating the growing political pressure for a more assertive approach to Beijing.
The challenge for European policymakers will be balancing these competing interests.
China remains an important trading partner and a major player in global supply chains, while Europe wants to protect its industries, diversify critical supplies and strengthen its security against espionage and foreign interference.
The European Parliament’s latest position suggests that Brussels increasingly sees these issues as interconnected rather than separate questions of trade, diplomacy and security.
For Beijing, the message from Europe is that continued economic engagement will increasingly be accompanied by demands for reciprocity, greater market access and stronger safeguards against security risks.
At the same time, European lawmakers have made clear that they are not seeking to close the door on cooperation. Their stated objective is to maintain dialogue with China while strengthening Europe’s ability to protect its economic interests, critical infrastructure, strategic technologies and security.
The result could be a more complicated phase in EU-China relations, in which trade negotiations continue alongside tighter scrutiny of Chinese investment, greater attention to Taiwan and stronger European measures against espionage, cyber threats and economic dependence.
