China is looking to mend a strained trading relationship with the European Union, the last open major market for its products, to weather a trade war with the United States. But diplomats and analysts say breaking a prolonged stalemate won't be easy.

The European Union has announced a 90-day pause on countermeasures against the United States, a day after President Donald Trump unveiled a similar pause on his “reciprocal” tariffs.

It also acts methodically. On April 9th the bloc agreed on its retaliation for Donald Trump’s steel and aluminium tariffs, imposed on February 10th. How to answer his subsequent car tariffs and capricious “reciprocal” tariffs will be decided later, illustrating another rule: one fight at a time.