Although the Biden administration is trying to reassure the EU about Washington's commitment to transatlantic values, mutual distrust and differences still persist, undermining the White House's idea of forming a united front against China, international observers say.
The US and the EU announced on Tuesday that they have resolved a 17-year-long row over aircraft subsidies involving Boeing and Airbus. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised the move, stressing that it has opened a new chapter in the US-EU relationship, as Washington and Brussels moved “from litigation to cooperation”.
However, the Biden administration sees yet another dimension to the historic decision: according to US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, the allies have finally come together against a “common threat” – China. She underscored that the US and EU would cooperate “to challenge and counter China's non-market practices in this sector in specific ways that reflect our standards for fair competition”.
G7 Leaders Don't Maintain a Unanimous Stance on China
The idea of countering a “challenge” posed by the rise of China has repeatedly been voiced during Joe Biden's first European tour. However, while G7 and NATO leadership have seemingly reached a consensus on the need for a shared approach to Beijing, Washington and European players have differing economic interests in China, according to David Hearne, an economist and researcher at Birmingham City University.
Germany indeed…
