Opportunity to reconnect Europe with China

French President Emmanuel Macron's upcoming visit to China, from Dec 3 to 5, is more than just a diplomatic gesture. It is a rare and urgent opportunity — a potential tipping point for Europe's role in global innovation and governance. The world is moving fast, and Europe cannot afford to sit on the sidelines.

China has reasserted itself as a central hub of economic and technological dynamism. For Europe, the time has come to connect early with the companies and sectors that will define the economies of tomorrow — from low-altitude aviation and urban mobility to robotics and artificial intelligence.

Macron has the chance to ignite a European momentum, ensuring that the continent becomes a co-creator, not merely a market. Hesitation risks marginalization, as other regions seize the lead in shaping the technologies and standards that will dominate the coming decades.

France can, and should, lead this effort. By coordinating early-stage cooperation with Beijing, Paris can encourage a continent-wide European strategy. Strategic alignment in high-tech sectors would allow Europe not only to access innovation but also to co-create value and influence global norms. In a world of exponential technological change, early collaboration is not optional — it is essential.

The opportunity extends far beyond economics. Macron's visit must also push for urgent reform of multilateral governance. Global institutions — from the United Nations to the International Monetary Fund — were designed for a different era. They are slow, rigid and poorly suited to a world where change accelerates daily. France and China, as major global actors, have both the legitimacy and responsibility to advocate for a governance model that reflects the multipolar reality of today and the exponential realities of tomorrow.

One concrete step could set a powerful precedent: the creation of a World AI Cooperation Organization. This would be more than a regulatory body; it would be a living laboratory where global norms for AI are tested, iterated and refined in real time. By embedding experimentation into governance, such an institution would allow nations to proactively manage AI's disruptive potential, ensuring it serves humanity rather than dividing it. It would signal that Europe and China can co-lead in shaping the global framework for technology and innovation.

Macron's visit is a rare moment when timing, opportunity and responsibility converge. Europe stands at a crossroads: it can act decisively to position itself at the heart of global innovation and governance — or risk becoming a passive observer. By combining strategic cooperation in technology with forward-looking multilateral reform, France and China can set a model for how nations navigate exponential change together. This proactive approach would strengthen Europe's competitiveness, deepen its understanding of emerging technologies and give its industries a meaningful stake in the next wave of global growth.

The French president's visit is more than a diplomatic engagement; it is a moment when Europe must choose whether it intends to shape the future or simply adapt to decisions made elsewhere. France and China have the opportunity to set a new template for cooperation — one that links technological co-creation with the reinvention of global governance for an era of exponential change. But opportunities do not wait. The world is moving fast, and time is running out. For Europe at least.

The author, a specialist in global affairs and sinology, is the founder of the China-Europe-America Global Initiative.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.