Arbitrary policies introduced by the U.S. president have accelerated a shift of the international order and introduced new dynamics to relations between major powers. Most countries are reluctant to follow Trump’s lead because they have little to gain by doing so. Several are quietly thinking about ways to turn his disruptions into opportunity.

Step by step, Europe has flubbed their chances to remain relevant since China’s rise, and now it may be too late for the EU to regain its clout in the global order. Is the dream of a multipolar world coming to a premature end?

For China-EU relations to develop into a stable, mutually beneficial partnership, the EU must undertake a more profound reassessment of its perception of China’s rise and the evolving dynamics of economic competition.

The second Trump administration’s China policies have thus far been very opaque and difficult to discern. However, in recent weeks a variety of indicators are beginning to make them clearer—and one dominant theme emerges: China will be viewed as America’s principal adversary.

With the Global South rising, Europe’s renewed emphasis on strategic independence from the United States could partially offset its relative decline in hard power and accelerate global multi-polarity.

The European Parliament making moves to condemn China over human rights abuses may play well in modern day, but exposes the fault lines in a changing global order - the West today should no longer freely lecture the rest of the world on moral issues.

During Donald Trump’s second term, the world’s three major continental powers — China, the United States and the European Union — will engage in their most intense interactions since the end of World War II. The results will shape the global power structure in stages.

The future is uncertain for the European Union as powerful regimes with inward-looking agendas have begun rolling out policy in the U.S., Germany, and France, due in no small part to the second Trump administration. For Europe, NATO, and the conflict in Ukraine, this could potentially lead to unprecedented changes in the modern global order.

If Europe fails to awaken and respond to its humiliating rejection by the United States, it will lose not only its seat at the table for Ukraine-Russia peace talks but also its status as a leading player in the future multipolar world.

U.S. allies in the long run are expected to pursue greater strategic autonomy, which means defining their national interests outside of American influence. Their policies toward China are therefore likely to continue evolving in a pragmatic and nuanced direction.