China and Europe: A challenge to safeguard multilateralism and peace.

We are at a time when the international order born from the ashes of the Second World War is under increasing pressure. For both China and Europe, this subject is not academic; it is deeply personal and rooted in our shared history, writes Colin Stevens

Eighty years ago, Europe was a continent devastated by fascism and total war. China, too, endured immense suffering—first through invasion, then through years of brutal conflict. Both Europe and China made indelible contributions to what we rightly call the World Anti-Fascist War.

Chinese soldiers and civilians held their ground for years against aggression in Asia, tying down vast forces that might otherwise have been deployed elsewhere.

In Europe and the Far East, the sacrifices of countless Commonwealth men and women, soldiers and civilians, helped to liberate the continent from tyranny.

Together, these efforts contributed to victory—and to the moral imperative that emerged in 1945: Never again.

From that resolve, institutions were created that still define our world today: the United Nations, the Charter of Human Rights, the Geneva Conventions, the foundations of international law, and the multilateral trading system.

Imperfect though it was, this post-war order was visionary. It provided stability, prosperity, and the conditions for dialogue instead of confrontation.

That order is now in question. We see unilateral sanctions, rising protectionism, and the temptation of great power rivalry. We see armed conflicts testing the very principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. We hear voices calling for decoupling and division, as though building walls could ever be a recipe for peace or prosperity.

And we cannot ignore the fact that in recent years, under President Trump’s America, we witnessed a deliberate retreat from multilateralism: withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, scepticism toward NATO, challenges to the World Trade Organisation, and an “America First” agenda that shook the foundations of collective action. When a major power steps back from cooperation, the entire system is weakened.

This week, the world’s attention turned to Beijing, where President Xi Jinping, flanked by President Vladimir Putin and Chairman Kim Jong Un, presided over the largest military parade in China’s history. The spectacle was both awe-inspiring and unsettling. Hypersonic missiles, AI-driven systems, and advanced technologies were unveiled—symbols of power and deterrence.

Yet the deeper question was not about weapons, but about direction: will humanity move toward confrontation, or toward peaceful coexistence and shared prosperity?

This is the great dichotomy of our age. On the one hand, nations project military strength, reminding us of the costs of mistrust and miscalculation. On the other hand, our survival depends on building frameworks of cooperation—frameworks that prevent conflict, promote prosperity, and ensure stability for generations to come.

In such a context, China and Europe share a special responsibility. Not to return to the past, but to safeguard and renew multilateralism for the future. We must reaffirm our shared commitment to the United Nations and to international law as the bedrock of global governance.

We must reform and strengthen institutions so they are fit for 21st-century challenges, climate change, global health, artificial intelligence, and sustainable development. And we must promote dialogue and bridge-building.

The EU remains the world’s most advanced example of regional integration; China is now a key voice for the Global South. Together, we can demonstrate that cooperation is not naïve, but necessary.

Peace is not an abstraction. It is the daily work of diplomacy, trade, cultural exchange, and mutual respect. The images from Beijing remind us that history always balances on a knife’s edge—between war and peace, between division and unity. The path we choose will determine whether future generations inherit conflict or prosperity.

China and Europe, by standing together, can tilt the balance toward dialogue, not division. Toward coexistence, not confrontation. And in doing so, we honour the sacrifices of the past, and we give hope to those who will inherit the future.

Share this article: