Only a couple of weeks ago President of the European Council, Charles Michel, traveled to Beijing to meet China’s President Xi Jinping. The visit – that took place following the European Council‘s strategic discussion on the European Union’s relations with China in October – had the double objective of rekindling ties with a potential ally during this tense geopolitical environment and to discuss global challenges of common interest. China, albeit considerably and irremediably far from European social values, still plays a vital role to its economy as a trade partner. To navigate the complex set of connections and issues that link these two international political actors, be sure to go through our last NEU number of 2022!