How Europe views China-US tussle – Times of India

China sent more than 30 warplanes to Taiwan’s airspace over the course of about six hours, the island’s defence ministry said on Thursday, a sharp ramp-up in single-day incursions by PLA Air Force. Beijing claims self-ruled Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to take it one day — by force if necessary.
In recent years, China has intensified aerial incursions into the island’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ) — nearly doubling the air sorties in 2022 compared to the year before.

China vs US

The incursions came a day after the United States, the Philippines and Japan completed their first-ever joint coast guard drills in the flashpoint South China Sea — which Beijing claims almost entirely.
Washington supports Taiwan militarily although on papers, it still abides by Beijing’s ‘One China’ policy.
China lashes out at any diplomatic action that appears to treat Taiwan as a sovereign nation and has reacted with growing assertiveness to any joint military exercises around the island or visits by Western politicians.
In April, Beijing conducted three days of military exercises simulating a blockade of the island in response to Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Taiwan’s leader Tsai Ing-wen meeting in California.
Most Europeans (over 60%) would want to remain neutral in a potential conflict between the US and China over Taiwan, according to a new survey of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), a think tank.
The survey conducted in 11 EU countries shows that Europeans view China as more as a strategic partner than a rival or an ally.

In line with Macron

Their view of China is more in line with French President Emmanuel Macron than European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Euronews said citing the survey report.
Macron had drawn criticism for his remark that Europe did not have an interest in accelerating on the issue of Taiwan and warned that Europe should not become a “follower” on the topic and “adapt to the American pace and to a Chinese overreaction”.