Europe must urgently reduce its strategic dependence on China and the United States as geopolitical tensions reshape global trade and services
Executive summary: Jean Pisani-Ferry contends that Europe must urgently break free from its dual dependence on China and the United States amid intensifying geopolitical tensions and the growth of services trade. This dependence exposes the EU to supply‑chain disruptions and market‑access risks, threatening its industrial base and long‑term competitiveness.
Who is involved: Economist Jean Pisani‑Ferry, European policymakers, Chinese exporters, United States market actors.
Likely next: EU institutions may launch diversification strategies, boost domestic R&D, and seek balanced trade relations with both China and the United States.
Jean Pisani-Ferry, writing in Le Monde, argues that European businesses and policymakers have grown accustomed to reliance on Chinese imports and American markets, mistaking this dependence for a natural order. He notes that rising geopolitical friction and the expansion of services trade are eroding the stability of that arrangement, urging the EU to diversify supply chains and market access. The piece does not propose specific measures but frames the issue as an urgent strategic imperative for European competitiveness.
Timeline
- — Jean Pisani-Ferry : « Nous nous étions tellement habitués à notre dépendance que nous avions fini par y voir l’ordre naturel des choses » (Le Monde — Économie)
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