Bridging the gap: Priorities for transatlantic China policy

This update to a 2021 report on priorities for transatlantic China policy reviews the state of play in European and US policies on China. Experts on China and transatlantic relations from the Aspen Strategy Group (ASG), the Munich Security Conference (MSC) and MERICS contributed to the analysis which was presented at the 2023 Munich Security Conference. The recording is available here.

The authors conclude that there has been further convergence in European and US perspectives on China, solid progress in terms of creating a framework for structured dialogue and a number of joint actions taken. At the same time, significant gaps remain. This is partly a matter of differences in economic exposure and different assessments regarding risks and benefits of entanglement with China. But strategic concerns are also at play: Whereas US views have mostly aligned on a more confrontational approach, key European players remain concerned about the emergence of antagonistic “blocs.”

Therefore, despite the progress achieved, Europe and the United States need to continue to work to bridge the gap in their respective China policies. To this end, the new report proposes a series of actions organized along seven issue areas.

You can download the full report "Bridging the gap: Priorities for transatlantic China policy” here:

If you would like to read the previous report “Mind the gap: Priorities for transatlantic China policy” from 2021, click here.