To what extent are the progress and trajectory of European integration affected by outside influences? Among the European Union’s (EU) most influential bilateral relationships rank its dealings with China. In the face of an assertive Chinese regime, the EU has repeatedly struggled to speak with a single voice, watering down, delaying or disagreeing over policy proposals. The recent disputes over the introduction of EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles provide a particularly visible example for this dynamic. In this paper, we seek to systematically investigate the “China effect” on the trajectory of European integration. To do so, we assess the effects of China import shocks on public support for enhanced European political and economic integration. Adapting and updating the measure proposed by Colantone and Stanig (2018) for the period from 2008 to 2022, we look into the regional NUTS2-level effects of increased import competition on citizens’ demands for EU competencies. While the general observation of a rise in economic nationalism holds, we short that, given certain scope conditions, increased import competition from China can also cause enhanced support for EU cooperation and integration.