Calculated hypocrisy: Why Western powers court Beijing but rely on US

Economic engagement with China does not amount to strategic realignment.

A parade of Western leaders to Beijing, including French President Emmanuel Macron in December,  and more recently, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and the United Kingdom’s Keir Starmer, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz planning a visit later this month, might suggest a great geopolitical realignment in the making. But to interpret these visits as a strategic defection from the United States is to mistake tactical adaptation for fundamental realignment. What we are witnessing is the pursuit of economic pragmatism alongside enduring security alliances, a balancing act that China’s charm offensive has not fundamentally disrupted.

The initial phase of President Donald Trump’s second term saw US allies pursuing a delicate balancing act, engaging in strategic hedging by maintaining economic ties with China while aligning strategically with Washington against perceived threats from Beijing and Moscow. However, Trump’s prolonged trade wars, rough treatment of European and North American partners, and coercive threats shattered illusions of a united Western front. This disorientation soon found its voice in Canadian PM Carney’s Davos speech.