Chinese leader Xi Jinping has wrapped up a three-country tour of Europe, his first in five years.
The visit sought to dampen growing antagonism between Beijing and European governments triggered by China’s diplomacy and its economic strength. More subtly, Xi wants to drive a wedge between Europe and the United States, or at least inhibit their convergence on a policy that identifies China as a threat.
His three destinations — France, Serbia and Hungary — are all, to differing degrees, inclined to be sympathetic to Beijing’s call for a multipolar world order. They chaff against constraints imposed by policies pursued by Brussels and Washington and aspire to greater autonomy in foreign policy.