Brussels must fight protectionism with Beijing

With the United States indiscriminately wielding the baton of trade protectionism, no country including its allies is immune to the toxic effects of the US' policies. Therefore, it is a relief to see the incoming European Union leadership determined to buttress multilateralism and oppose US protectionism.

Naming her 27-member team on Tuesday, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission's president-elect, said: "I want the European Union to be the guardian of multilateralism. Because we know that we are stronger by doing together what we cannot do alone."

Such a stance, consistent with the outgoing EC's leadership, is comforting in these times of unilateralism. It not only sends a positive signal to the world, including the EU's partners, such as China, but also shows how the bloc can cope with the many challenges that lie ahead.