As the deleterious effects of Covid-19 will probably affect trends in world military expenditure, European defence-spending plans will certainly not represent an exception. This could be even more problematic since China’s growing power and influence seem to be reshaping the structure and dynamics of global governance. Moreover, China’s growing military power may carry inherent risks for the EU in multiple ways, namely the Chinese narrative and its influence in Europe could further undermine the cooperation of EU defence in national systems. To assess what kind of threat Chinese military power represents towards Europe, this paper aims to investigate the impact of a more assertive China has on the global standing of the EU within the framework of the emerging great power politics.