Europe’s China policy is being rewritten by events it does not control. This report maps the geopolitical forces pushing Brussels from naïve engagement toward guarded competition, and exposes how slow, divided and reactive the shift remains. As rivalry hardens, Europe talks tougher but still struggles to turn awareness into leverage.

The commentary dissects Emmanuel Macron’s latest defence spending commitments and finds a familiar French pattern – bold announcements masking hard questions left unanswered. Paris talks about resolve, leadership and strategic autonomy. The paper argues that behind the headline figures sit delivery risks, budget trade-offs and capability gaps that money alone will not fix.

The analysis takes aim at one of Europe’s proudest achievements and finds it stuck in a loop of constant tinkering with diminishing returns. The single market is endlessly “restarted,” updated and expanded on paper, yet its core problems remain stubbornly unresolved. The piece argues that Europe has mistaken perpetual reform for real integration, and the costs are piling up.

Emmanuel Macron went to Beijing talking about dialogue and reset. This commentary suggests the reality was far less impressive. France wants a fresh start with China, but arrives weakened, divided and short on leverage. The visit exposed ambition without clout and a strategy still stuck between commerce and caution.

Europe says it is getting serious about China. This report suggests otherwise. Across trade, technology and security, the EU is still caught between recognition and reluctance. The risks are clearer than ever, but action remains cautious, uneven and heavily constrained by dependence and division.

Germany’s China policy has flipped from cosy commerce to uneasy competition, and this report explains why the old model finally broke. Berlin spent years selling the idea of win-win trade while piling up dependency and risk. Now reality has intruded. China is no longer just a market. It is a strategic challenger, and Germany is scrambling to adjust without wrecking its own economy.

Germany is tightening its belt, and Europe is about to feel it. This policy brief shows how Berlin’s medium-term fiscal plan prioritises domestic caution over continental leadership. The shift may please budget hawks at home, but it weakens Europe’s ability to invest, respond to shocks and act together when it matters.