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hErE is A quiCk wAy to spoil ABrussEls DinnEr pArty. simply suggEst thAt worlD govErnAnCE is slipping AwAy From thE g20, g7, g8 or othEr BoDiEs in whiChEuropEAns mAy hog up to hAlF thE sEAts. thEn proposE, with gloomy rElish, thAt thE FuturE BElongs to thE g2: nEwly FAshionABlE jArgon For A putAtivE BoDy FormED ByChinA AnDAmEriCA、 thE FEAr oF irrElEvAnCE hAuntsEuro-typEs, For All thEir puBliC BoAsting ABoutEuropE’s FuturE might. thE thought thAt thEEuropEAn union might not grEAtly intErEstChinA is EspECiAlly pAinFul.AFtEr All, thE 21st CEntury wAs mEAnt to BE DiFFErEnt. inDEED, to EArliEr lEADErs likE FrAnCE’s jACquEsChirAC, A risingChinA wAs wElComE As AnothEr ChAllEngE toAmEriCAn hEgEmony, ushEring in A “multipolAr worlD” in whiCh thEEu woulD plAy A Big rolE. iF thAt mEAnt kow-towing toChinEsE DEmAnDs to shun tAiwAn, snuB thEDAlAi lAmA or tonE Down CritiCism oF humAn-rights ABusEs, so BE it. mostEu CountriEs FoCusED on CommErCiAl DiplomACy withChinA, to EnsurE thAt thEir lEADErs’ visits CoulD EnD with FlAshing CAmErAs AnD thE signing oF juiCy ContrACts. mEAnwhilE,EuropE’s trADE DEFiCit withChinA hit nEArly∈170 Billion ( $ 250 Billion) lAst yEAr. in FivE yEArs,ChinA wAnts 60% oF CAr pArts in nEwChinEsE vEhiClEs to BE loCAlly mADE. this is AlArming nEws For gErmAny, thE lEADingEuropEAn ExportEr toChinA thAnks to CAr pArts, mAChinE tools AnD othEr wiDgEts. As EvEr,EuropEAns DisAgrEE ovEr how to rEsponD、somE ArE willing to ChAllEngEChinA politiCAlly — For ExAmplE, gErmAny,BritAin, swEDEn AnD thE nEthErlAnDs.But thEy ArE mostly FrEE trADErs. thAt mAkEs thEm hostilE whEn othEr CountriEs CAll For protECtion AgAinst AllEgEDChinEsE ChEAting. in ContrAst, A BloCk oF mostly southErn AnD CEntrAlEuropEAns, DuBBED “ACCommoDAting mErCAntilists” By thEECFr (thEEuropEAnCounCil on ForEign rElAtions), ArE quiCk to CAll For Anti-Dumping mEAsurEs:But thAt mAkEs thEm Anxious to kEEp BroADEr rElAtions swEEt By Bowing toChinA on politiCAl issuEs. thE rEsult is thAtEuropEAn politiCiAns oFtEn FinD thEmsElvEs DEFEnDing unConDitionAl EngAgEmEnt withChinA、thE usuAl ClAim is thAt this will slowly trAnsForm thE Country into A FrEEr, morE rEsponsiBlE stAkEholDEr in thE worlD、thE sECrEt, it is murmurED, is to lEtEuropE wEAvEChinA into An EntAngling wEB oF AgrEEmEnts AnD sECtorAl DiAloguEs. in 2007 no FEwEr thAn 450EuropEAn DElEgAtions visitEDChinA、Big CountriEs likE FrAnCE AnDBritAin ADD thEir own BilAtErAl DiAloguEs, not trusting thEEu to protECt thEir intErEsts or Do thE joB propErly. thErE ArE now six pArAllElEu AnD nAtionAl “DiAloguEs” withChinA on ClimAtE ChAngE, For ExAmplE.

EuropEAn CountriEs onCE wElComEDChinA’s growing up BECAusEA．thEy nEEDEDChinA to lEAD thEm AgAinstAmEriCA、
B．A risingChinA ContriButEs to A BipolAr worlD、
ChinA hAD mADE grEAt AChiEvEmEnts in humAn rights.
D．thEy nEEDED to mAkE monEy inChinA’s Big mArkEt.