The European Union has paused its scheduled strategic debate on China, prioritizing the unfolding crisis in the Middle East. This move suggests Europe is grappling with how to manage its relationship with Beijing despite growing economic concerns.

A long-awaited EU debate on China has been shelved in favour of the Middle East crisis, highlighting how Europe is struggling to treat Beijing as a strategic priority despite mounting economic pressure. The European Commission’s security college was set to meet this coming Monday to debate the challenges posed by Beijing, as part of what officials were referring to internally as “China week”. It would have been the first strategic discussion among the bloc’s 27 commissioners under President...