EU Firms Warm to China Even as Tensions Spiral Over Export Surge

European firms in China are turning more upbeat about their business outlook, a new survey found, just as Brussels appears poised to take action against a swelling trade imbalance with Beijing.

About 35% of respondents reported being optimistic about their industry growing in China over the next two years, up from a record low of 29% in 2025. The annual poll, published on Wednesday by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, also showed that 47% of companies said the local business environment had become more politicized in the last year, the lowest share since at least 2023. ...