On 28 March 2025, the Asia Centre at the University of Tartu hosted a roundtable webinar titled “US-China Evolving Trade Landscape and the EU’s Response”, as part of the ReConnect China project. The invitation-only event brought together experts from academia, policymakers, and business stakeholders, with a particular focus on perspectives from the Nordic-Baltic region.
The event is part of the ReConnect China policy roundtable series, under which two meetings were already successfully organised: Europe-China Table on 18. April 2023 and Europe-China Table on 24. April 2024.
The discussion explored how recent developments in US-China economic relations—particularly the trade tariffs and protectionist policies introduced during the Trump era—are reshaping the global trade landscape and impacting Europe’s position. Key themes included the EU’s strategic dilemma of remaining economically engaged with China while avoiding overdependence, and the continued lack of a unified EU policy on China, which weakens the bloc’s global leverage.
Several conclusions emerged from the webinar. First, the current geopolitical moment, shaped by Trump-era economic policies, may present an opportunity for the EU and China to rebuild trust and strengthen their engagement through multilateral trade agreements. Second, a major challenge for the EU is how to deepen economic ties with China while avoiding the mistakes of the past and preventing excessive dependency. Third, while the EU is not in a weak position—it possesses strategic economic tools and remains a vital market for Chinese exports—the absence of a coherent EU-wide approach to China remains a significant obstacle. Finally, changes in US-China trade tariffs are already affecting EU companies, with some shifting production to the US. This trend has been noted in the Nordic region, with Ericsson cited as a specific example, raising concerns about long-term implications for the EU’s industrial base.
The roundtable featured insights from the following speakers:
- Christer Ljungwall (Chalmers University, Sweden)
- Ari Kokko (Copenhagen Business School, Denmark)
- Meelis Kitsing (Estonian Business School, Estonia)
- Urmas Varblane (Central Bank of Estonia)
The event brought together 19 participants from institutions such as Clingendael, the University of Turku, the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, and the Swedish National China Centre. It also welcomed early-career researchers who contributed fresh perspectives to the discussion.
The webinar not only offered critical insights into the evolving dynamics of EU-China-US trade relations but also contributed to the development of a growing Nordic-Baltic expert network on China-related economic and policy issues.