Opinions
Flocking to Beijing: Europe’s Pragmatic Pivot
Since the beginning of 2026, even before the arrival of the Chinese New Year festival, Beijing’s diplomatic arena has exhibited an unprecedented ‘warm spring’ atmosphere. In January alone, the Chinese capital hosted an intensive wave of visits by Western leaders. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo all paid official visits to China in quick succession.