EU-China relations in 2026, with Grzegorz Stec

Europe has found itself between a rock and a hard place in the last couple of months – between China leveraging export controls on rare earth elements and the US stating its desire to incorporate Greenland. Where does this leave the EU’s China policy? Do we continue to de-risk or do we reconnect with China to hedge in this great power confrontation? Grzegorz Stec, Senior Analyst and Head of the MERICS Brussels Office, joins Johannes Heller-John to talk about EU-China relations in 2026. 

More on this issue:

• Resilient engagement playbook: How Europe can navigate relations with a more confrontational Beijing
• MERICS Europe-China Resilience Audit - Dashboard collecting graphics and analyses