Von der Leyen said that what Europe needs to focus on is not “de-coupling” with China, but “de-risking”.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered a “principle speech” on EU-China relations in Brussels, Belgium, on March 30. She said that the EU does not want to “decouple” with China, but needs to balance its relationship with China and reduce the risk of the EU’s relationship with China and its dependence on China. She also touched on the Ukraine issue, claiming that Beijing’s performance in the conflict is decisive for EU-China relations. On the same day, Ambassador Fu Cong, head of the Chinese Mission to the EU, said in an interview with the Financial Times that China hopes to actively promote China-EU relations, but this must be based on mutual respect. Without correct cognition, we are still looking at the new era with old thinking, which is not in line with the historical trend. Tying China-EU relations to the Ukraine crisis has political intentions.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen data map
European media reported that next week, French President Macron and European Commission President Von der Leyen will visit China together. Before the trip, the European leader delivered a speech at a seminar organized by a European think tank, expounding her views on the future of EU-China relations. Von der Leyen said that the relationship with China is one of “the most complicated and important relationships in the world“, and how to deal with this issue is of decisive significance to Europe’s future economic prosperity and national security. Von der Leyen praised China’s success in lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. She said that China plays an important role in the world political arena and has the ambition to become a world power. But she also said, “Obviously, our relationship has become more distant and more difficult in the past few years.” However, Von der Lein believes that “decoupling” with China is neither feasible nor in the interest of Europe.” , so what Europe needs to pay attention to is not “de-coupling” with China, but “de-risking”.
Von der Leyen said that Europe does not want to cut off economic, social, political and scientific ties with China, but EU-China relations are currently unbalanced. The EU therefore “needs to rebalance the relationship on the basis of transparency, predictability and reciprocity”. Speaking of the “China-EU Comprehensive Investment Agreement” that was “frozen” by the European side, von der Leyen said, “In the past three years, the world and China have undergone tremendous changes-we need to re-establish our strategy based on our broader China strategy. Evaluate”. Von der Leyen mentioned the Ukrainian crisis and its impact on China-EU relations in his speech, and called on China to work for a “just peace” in Ukraine. Beijing’s performance in the conflict will be decisive for Sino-EU relations, she said.
Regarding von der Leyen’s speech, the German “Süddeutsche Zeitung” stated that she showed the world what she will show in Beijing. However, it is clear that not everyone in Europe is happy to hear the strong language in von der Leyen’s speech, with Macron said to be much softer. At the EU summit a week ago, China was only a fringe topic, and China was not mentioned at all in the final declaration. The German “Handelsblatt” stated that although the German federal government has been warning for some time that German companies should be more independent from China, a new study by the German Institute for Economic Research shows that last year German companies invested more in China than ever before. many. Regulators could ban some of these investments if the EU introduces foreign investment screening. Switzerland’s “New Zurich Zeitung” looked ahead to von der Leyen and Macron’s trip to China next week, saying it would be “a difficult visit.”
On the same day that Von der Leyen delivered a speech on China-EU relations, Ambassador Fu Cong said in an interview with the Financial Times that China-EU relations have a good foundation, and European leaders have recently visited China. China-EU bilateral trade and investment achieved strong growth last year, and the European economic community is full of confidence in the Chinese market. However, the EU has introduced a series of trade policy tools in recent years, and protectionism has risen. China-EU relations are affected, and the problem is not with China. Politicizing China-EU economic and trade relations goes against the expectations of all walks of life in Europe and harms Europe’s own interests. The EU should adhere to its strategic autonomy, and the development of European-European relations should not be at the expense of China-EU relations. Fu Cong also said on the issue of the Ukraine crisis that Sino-Russian relations are not subject to a third party, and this also applies to Sino-EU relations. China-EU relations are multi-dimensional. One cannot only view China-EU relations from the perspective of the Ukrainian crisis. Binding the two has political intentions.
Cui Hongjian, director of the European Institute of the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times reporter on the 31st that von der Leyen’s speech was aimed at explaining the interior of Europe on the one hand, and on the other hand, it was a call to Beijing from afar. The EU’s position and purpose will be stated earlier, and it will seek to influence the upcoming China-EU bilateral agenda. “Europe’s China policy is in a period of debate and adjustment, with radical voices and moderate positions. Von der Leyen’s reference to ‘de-risking’ China-EU economic and trade relations is intended to represent the position of the European Commission , to seek a certain balance between the two views, neither to engage in ‘decoupling’ like the radicals, but also to declare that Europe does not want China-EU cooperation to continue in the previous way, and Europe will not increase the so-called ‘dependence’ on China.” Cui Hongjian explain.
Regarding von der Leyen’s linking China’s position on the Ukraine issue with the development of China-EU relations, Cui Hongjian believes that this is a voice that has been rising within the EU since last year. Von der Leyen’s speech aims to further clarify this position. The Ukraine issue is the number one geopolitical challenge in Europe at the moment, and it is also one of the purposes of European leaders such as Von der Leyen’s recent visit to China. In this regard, there are obvious differences between China and the EU. China believes that the Ukraine crisis should not affect other agendas between China and the EU. “Von der Leyen’s speech this time is a ‘playing card’, let’s see how the Chinese side ‘responds’.” Cui Hongjian believes that since the visit, the two sides are discussing issues from different positions to see if they can reach a consensus after the discussion, or even Consensus cannot be reached but disputes can be shelved.
The US “New York Times” commented on the 30th that when European leaders visited Beijing one after another, the United States stepped up pressure on Europe, asking them to choose sides between China and the United States. “The visit to China is actually sending an important signal to Washington: it is telling the Americans that we care about our relationship with China.” The report quoted an analyst as saying.
Author of this article: Aoki, Bai Yunyi, source:Global Timesoriginal title: “Von der Leyen “speaks out” about China-EU relations before his visit to China, expert: wants to influence the China-EU bilateral agenda”
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