The European Union's cautious rapprochement with China opens the door to limited economic cooperation, but structural constraints and competing priorities on both sides will constrain the prospects of any significant shift from Brussels' broader de-risking strategy toward Beijing. European and Chinese officials have stepped up high-level diplomatic engagement in recent weeks in response to the growing fallout from sweeping U.S. tariff increases. On April 8, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held a phone call with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, during which the two leaders agreed to work toward a "negotiated resolution" to the trade disruptions affecting both economies. According to the commission's readout, they emphasized the need for cooperation to preserve global economic stability, prevent further escalation and uphold a fair, rules-based international trading system. Von der Leyen also proposed establishing a joint mechanism to monitor and manage the potential diversion of U.S.-bound Chinese exports to the European...
