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WHO: Half of Europe's coronavirus deaths were in nursing homes 1:32
(CNN) - Before the coronavirus brought the world to its knees, 2020 was slated to be a pivotal year for the European Union (EU) and China.
At a prominent summit scheduled for September, the two were to take an important step forward in their economic and strategic relationship. At least that was the plan.
China's response to covid-19 has left a bitter taste in the mouth of European officials. From draconian repression of its own citizens to accusations of spreading misinformation in Europe, this crisis has been a reminder that closer engagement with China carries risks.
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As things stand, German Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet with EU leaders and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the German city of Leipzig on September 14.
German diplomats say the location was selected due to the former East Germany's historical relationship with China. They say that Merkel, chairing the EU Council presidency for the last time in her chancellery, has personally invested for the success of the summit.
In fact, bringing China closer to European values in human rights, climate change and multilateralism is what the leaders' legacies are made of. And while the Leipzig summit is far from a defining moment in Europe's relationship with China, this level of fanfare has much to accomplish.
However, there is a real feeling in Brussels that the pandemic has led to a revival of European thinking about China.
"I think the coronavirus has been a necessary reminder to many EU states that, as attractive as Chinese money may seem, it is also a systematic rival," says Steven Blockmans, head of EU foreign policy at the Center for European Policy Studies.
Blockmans refers to a statement released by the EU Commission in March 2019, in which he described China as "a systematic rival promoting alternative models of governance."
In the context of the coronavirus, that model of Chinese government concerns EU officials.
Last month, the European External Action Service released a report on disinformation around covid-19, saying that “official and state-backed sources from various governments, including Russia and, to a lesser extent, China, have continued to target broadly to narrative conspiracies and disinformation. "
Days earlier, Politico Europa published an excerpt of what it said was a draft version, which explicitly accused China of carrying out "a global disinformation campaign to deflect blame for the outbreak of the pandemic and improve its international image."
A spokesman for the EU's Foreign Affairs and Security Policy told CNN that the document cited by Politico was not actually a draft report.
Whatever the truth, it is clear that some in Brussels are very concerned about China's behavior.
China: State media react by Mike Pompeo's statements 0:42“It is about seeing which (political) system is better to handle the virus. Is it a system that allows personal liberties? Or is it in the one-party autocracy where you can impose measures without worrying too much, ”said an EU official working across the country? External affairs.
This lack of confidence seems to be taking hold across Brussels. Over the weekend, EU Commissioner for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said in an interview with the French daily Le Journal du Dimanche that Europe had been "naive" in its dealings with China. He then acknowledged that China has a "different understanding of the international order."
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So where does all this leave what was supposed to be the year that China and Europe finally hit the same page?
At the time of writing, very few believe that the Leipzig summit will be as Merkel and company first imagined.
On a practical level, the virus has meant that the two sides were unable to physically meet. European diplomats note that in the EU Council building, there are usually around 30 meeting rooms for representatives of the 27 member states to meet and discuss sensitive issues. "Now there are only about 10 that can guarantee social distancing," said one diplomat.
Velina Tchakarova, head of the institute of the Austrian Institute for European Policy and Security, predicts that “China's actions during and after covid-19 would lead to further disagreements and fragmentation within European countries [on] how to resolve relations with Beijing ”.
She points out disagreements on issues like allowing Chinese companies to build 5G networks and decisions at the EU level about who can and who cannot invest in member states.
For these reasons and more, most believe that the Leipzig summit will be completely overshadowed by the coronavirus.
However, despite these low levels of confidence and open recognition that China is a "systematic rival", it seems likely that the EU will try to get things back on track.
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"It will make us rethink, but at the same time we cannot get away from China," an EU diplomat told CNN. “All of our economies depend on supply chains that go back to Wuhan and beyond. We have always said that nobody's interests will be cared for by not trading with them. So that problem will always be there. "
Another German diplomat added to the matter saying that “China's influence is increasing, but it is not unilateral. Obviously, China also needs Europe. " This, Brussels officials hope, means it can put pressure on China on things like its position on human rights.
For the EU, engagement with China is more than money. "Increasing its engagement with China gives the EU the opportunity to double its strategic priorities," says Blockmans, referring to the key priority of EU foreign policy to balance its relations with China and the US. The US, giving the EU more autonomy on the world stage.
However, concern about China's transparency during the pandemic has been a clear reminder of what engagement with China really means.
On the one hand, the EU's estimate of China has not changed: it remains desirable not to be crushed between the two great superpowers, China and the United States. On the other hand, recent history shows that China is an unreliable partner that divides opinion among the EU member states.
Sooner or later, Europe will have to weigh these two realities and decide exactly how much that diplomatic independence from the United States really is worth.
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