At the tail end of the Trump Presidency, Jake Sullivan – now Biden’s National Security Adviser – urged the EU not to proceed with the China-EU Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI). He was disregarded + at the end December 2020 the CAI was signed. Now more difficult for Biden to realise the creation of a United Front between Washington + Brussels against China.

Biden is repeating the Obama error of 2015 when Obama failed to dissuade European allies from signing up to the Beijing-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. As the FT state today “You never stand in front of an oncoming train if it is not going to stop”.

In fact both Merkel/Macron stated in January 2021 their opposition to building a bloc of nations against China. The EU does not want to confront China. The day after Macron’s statement representatives of European multinationals – Airbus, L’Oreal and SAP – took part in a high-profile meeting with China’s Premier, Li Keqiang.

Biden’s aware that Democrats have lost white working-class voters who are workers/wage earners and not just consumers + needs to be seen to stand up to China. The EU sees things quite differently.