The European Union can contribute a lot in addressing the ‘China challenge’, argues Peter Chase. The United States should seize the opportunity to work more closely with Europe – and here’s how.

The United States and China are on a dangerous path: today’s trade war could easily become much worse, especially over Taiwan. Europeans need to understand the challenge, and their ability to stave off a conflict that would envelope them as well.

The prospects of a conflict in Asia may feel far away for Europeans, many of whom have quietly sympathised with the Trump Administration’s pugilistic approach to Beijing. But Trump’s tactics also make this a fight between China and the United States, allowing the Chinese leadership to mine the feelings of nationalism generated by the “Century of Humiliation” (百年耻辱) that started with the 1839-42 Opium War. Therein lies the danger.