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 ¡ª France, Serbia and Hungary ¡ª 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.
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