China has launched a charm offensive with the EU since Trump took office, shifting its stance on trade negotiations and signaling closer cooperation on a range of other issues, European diplomats say. European envoys in Brussels and Beijing sense a greater urgency from China to find allies willing to stand up for globalization amid fears Trump could undermine it. “Trump is pushing China and Europe together,” said one Beijing-based diplomat, citing Chinese support for trade, combating climate change and the United Nations, all of which Trump has attacked. Four senior EU diplomats and officials in close contact with the Chinese told Reuters they also see a chance for a breakthrough on business issues that have been moving slowly for years, including a special treaty to increase investment flows. EU business groups are more skeptical, expressing growing dissatisfaction, like their US counterparts, with limited market access in China and pressing for a firmer response.
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