The European Union has formally accused China of seeking to reshape the global order in its own interests and identified Beijing, alongside Russia, as one of the principal powers challenging European security in a newly adopted strategic assessment. The document, approved by the bloc’s 27 foreign ministers on Monday without a public announcement, contains some of the European Union’s strongest official language to date on China and its relationship with Russia.
The paper, titled “The Threats and Challenges We Face: Assessment of the EU’s Strategic Environment,” was prepared by the European External Action Service as guidance for the European Union’s first comprehensive security strategy, which is expected later this year. According to the document, Russia and China are seeking to establish regional dominance and reshape the international order in line with their own interests, fostering what it describes as a return to a sphere-of-influence model.
The assessment states that China is both a “key enabler” and a “crucial enabler” of Russia’s war in Ukraine, language that mirrors terminology previously adopted by NATO. It says Beijing’s support has contributed to Moscow’s ability to sustain its military campaign and identifies both countries as revisionist powers challenging the international rules-based order.
The report was adopted without public announcement because of its controversial language, according to sources cited in the original report. The Chinese Mission to the European Union did not respond to a request for comment. China has consistently denied allegations that it has sided with Russia in the war in Ukraine, maintaining that it is neutral in the conflict.
The document marks a notable shift from previous EU strategic guidance. While the bloc’s 2022 Strategic Compass acknowledged both challenges and areas of cooperation with China, the new assessment does not include references to partnership. Instead, it presents China as a long-term strategic challenge with growing influence over Europe’s security, economic resilience and competitiveness.
Mikko Huotari, executive director of the Mercator Institute for China Studies, said the European Union’s choice of language represents a significant diplomatic shift. He said the explicit designation of China as a key enabler of Russia’s war aligns the EU’s foreign policy language with NATO’s position and moves Beijing beyond the role of a passive observer by directly attributing responsibility for supporting forces that undermine European territorial security.
The report comes shortly after the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, said the bloc possesses evidence that China has been training Russian troops for the battlefield in Ukraine. It also coincides with discussions among EU member states over a new package of sanctions against Moscow that is expected to include additional Chinese entities.
Sense Hofstede, a Brussels-based expert on Chinese foreign policy at the Association for International Affairs, said the stronger language reflects increasing frustration among EU member states over Beijing’s actions and a growing recognition of China’s role in supporting Russia during the conflict.
The strategic assessment also addresses broader geopolitical and economic concerns. It states that China’s trade imbalances with the European Union, control over critical raw materials and technological advances in certain sectors, combined with what it describes as Beijing’s willingness to use those advantages as leverage, make China a critical long-term strategic challenge. The document further states that China is expected to continue expanding its influence in Europe while maintaining support for Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
The paper also highlights China’s activities in the South China Sea, East China Sea and across the Taiwan Strait, stating that increasingly assertive behaviour in those regions could have growing consequences for European and Indo-Pacific security, stability and prosperity. It warns that any change to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait would have profound implications for global security. The document notes that Beijing considers Taiwan part of China and has stated it would use force if necessary to achieve reunification, while observing that most countries, including EU member states and the United States, do not formally recognise Taiwan as an independent state.
