Between Cooperation and Competition: EU-China Climate Relations amidst USA Influence

With the USA-China-EU triangle as a critical framework, this article examines how the USA influences EU-China relations on their general strategy and policy vis-à-vis each other on climate governance, a global challenge of common concern. Regarding Trump’s controversial actions during his first mandate, like the “America first” ideology and the hostility to multilateralism (namely the withdrawal from the “Paris Agreement), how would and should China and the EU deal with the American influence on their relationship with Trump coming back to the White House? Recent US actions and the reactions received, including on trade sanctions, decoupling efforts, and a retreat from multilateral agreements during the Trump administration, have complicated EU-China engagement in climate governance—understood here as both multilateral climate diplomacy and the politics of green technologies such as renewable energy and NEVs. Under the USA-China antagonism, the EU seems to be aligning with US actions in areas such as regulating and de-risking Chinese green technology, while approaching China on climate diplomacy with the USA’s inconstant position on multilateralism. This creates a delicate balance of alignment and divergence. This article will focus on their interaction in these areas to provide a concrete lens to explore the weakening and strengthening of EU-China climate relations under the American influence. Drawing on the analysis, future prospects of their interactions and impact on the global order will be made.