Rebuilding Trust in a Polarized World: Reflections from the 12th China and Globalization Forum

At a time when global governance frameworks are under strain and geopolitical fault lines are deepening, dialogue between Europe and China has never been more urgent—or more complicated. On April 26, 2026, leading diplomats, academics, and policy practitioners gathered in Beijing for the 12th China and Globalization Forum, hosted by the Center for China and Globalization (CCG). Among the participants was Dr. Sebastian Schwark, Senior Fellow at the Global Solutions Initiative and CEO of SEC Newgate Deutschland GmbH, who offered a candid and nuanced perspective on the state of EU-China relations.

 

A Relationship Caught Between Trade Logic and Geopolitical Reality

The panel session, titled “Between Headwinds and Openings: Europe and the Next Chapter of China–Europe Relations,” brought together ambassadors, former diplomats, and scholars from across Europe and China. Dr. Schwark’s contribution cut to the heart of the matter: the EU-China relationship is, at its core, a vital trade relationship—but one increasingly held hostage by geopolitical polarization.

Drawing on Carl Schmitt’s theory of competing Großräume, he observed that today’s world is drifting toward large geopolitical blocs vying for dominance. “That is against European interests, really, and against the European vision of the world, which is more built on collaboration and multilateralism,” he noted. For a continent that has staked its identity on the rule-based international order and open markets, this drift poses a fundamental challenge—and makes the EU-China relationship an early casualty of a new and unwelcome order.

 

Three Obstacles

Dr. Schwark was notable for his willingness to name uncomfortable truths. He acknowledged that the EU-China trade relationship is mutually beneficial in principle but argued it is being progressively undermined by a deepening lack of trust—and that rebuilding it requires addressing the causes directly rather than papering over them.

From a European perspective, he identified three key drivers of this trust deficit. First, Russia’s war against Ukraine and what is widely perceived in Europe as Chinese support for Russia’s position. “That is an integral issue for European security, and I think that has been underestimated in China,” he said. Second, the weaponization of supply chains—a topic of acute sensitivity for European industry as it grapples with critical dependencies. Third, what European audiences perceive as a striving toward regional hegemony, a perception that, regardless of intent, is shaping policy decisions in Brussels and across European capitals.

By naming these concerns directly, Dr. Schwark made a clear argument: trust cannot be rebuilt through diplomatic euphemism. The obstacles must be confronted head-on.

 

China is Our Peer

Dr. Schwark also brought a perspective sometimes absent from European discourse—an honest acknowledgment of China’s transformation as a global actor. “China is now a technology leader, and Europe can learn a lot from China,” he stated plainly. The relationship has fundamentally shifted: China is no longer a recipient of European technology and market access, but a peer and, in several domains, an innovator ahead of Europe.

He went further, suggesting China may also have emerged as a policy leader. The success of Chinese industrial policy in targeting future-oriented industries—electric vehicles, renewable energy, advanced manufacturing—has produced tangible technological leadership that Europe would do well to study rather than dismiss. This reflects a broader shift among sophisticated European observers: the relationship is no longer a story of European norms being exported to a rising China, but an evolving partnership between two significant and comparable trading partners.

 

The Path Forward: Trust, Trade, and Global Cooperation

Despite his frank diagnosis, Dr. Schwark’s conclusion was constructive. “I think it is really important to rebuild trust, because the trade relationship is so important for both sides,” he said, calling for trade that is “fair, open, and mutually beneficial”—placing the emphasis firmly on reciprocity rather than rivalry.

Beyond bilateral trade, he pointed to the wider global agenda as both a necessity and an opportunity. Given the geopolitical complexities he outlined, Europe and China must work together on shared challenges: climate change, the resolution of regional conflicts, and global health. These are areas where interests align, where cooperation is both possible and urgently needed, and where progress would send a powerful signal that the relationship is more than the sum of its tensions.

Dr. Schwark’s participation in Beijing reflects GSI’s conviction that productive Europe-China engagement requires senior practitioners willing to speak plainly about the challenges, acknowledge what each side has to offer, and keep the focus on the shared interests that make the relationship worth preserving. In a world of competing Großräume and eroding multilateralism, that kind of dialogue—honest, patient, and solutions-oriented—is precisely what is needed.

Watch the video starting at 53:50 minute mark.

Featured image: Photo by Center for China & Globalization