With China deal, EU leaves the hard part to Washington

In pursuit of profits, Europe is offloading vexing geopolitical issues to Joe Biden's administration.

The investment deal the bloc struck with China late December -- just three weeks before Joe Biden is inaugurated as the new president of the United States -- demonstrates that Europeans are keen to go back to what they do best: pursuing narrow, material self-interest under the U.S. security umbrella -- though not without a heavy dose of moralizing.