Europe feels that it has a different relationship with China, a different history, and different drivers. But in the last few years, at least since 2016, political dynamics in the US and China have made the role of Europeans more uncomfortable and contested, with pressures applied from both sides of their allegiance. This article looks at the kind of structural drivers of US, China, and European relations, and where there is commonality and difference. In particular, the article looks at generic issues like environmentalism and economic sustainability for the Europeans and the EU, and how these provide a common narrative in working with and between China and the US.