Keystone-SDA
China-Russia links now constitute a “determining factor” of UE-Pekin relations, warned Thursday in Beijing the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. This at a summit of EU leaders with Chinese President XI.
(Keystone-ATS) The Chinese leader told him that Beijing and Brussels were to strengthen their communication and mutual trust.
“The way in which China continues to interact with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will be a determining factor in our relationships in the future,” said Ms. Von Der Leyen, also calling for “real solutions” for bilateral relations which are at a “ordering moment”.
Beijing presents itself as a stable partner
China seeks to tighten its links with the old continent, and presents itself as a stable and more reliable partner than the United States of Donald Trump.
But Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, the president of the European Council, arrived in Beijing for a meeting with Xi Jinging with a long list of litigation.
Commercial imbalance
Among them: an important commercial imbalance against the EU, fears of flooding the European market by cheap and subsidized Chinese products, or the Beijing-Moscow rapproche, seen with suspicion against the background of Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“The more serious and complex the international situation, the more China and the EU must intensify communication, strengthen mutual confidence and deepen cooperation,” said Xi Jinping in the immense people of the people, a traditional place of diplomatic receptions at the heart of Beijing.
“Make the right strategic choice”
Faced with “instabilities” in the world, “Chinese and European leaders must once be clairvoyance and commitment, and make the right strategic choice,” he said.
“The current challenges in which Europe is faced from China,” insisted Xi Jinping, quoted by the China Nouvelle state agency. “There are between China and the EU no conflict of interest or fundamental geopolitical disagreement,” he said.
“Concrete progress” desired
In response, Ursula von der Leyen said it was “essential that China and Europe recognize their respective concerns and offer concrete solutions”.
For his part, Antonio Costa told Xi Jinping that the EU wanted to see “concrete progress on questions related to trade and the economy”.
He also expressed the “concerns” of Europeans on “the protection of human rights”, “a central pillar of European Union relations with other countries, including China”.
Fight against warming
During a separate meeting on Thursday, Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang told him to the two EU leaders that “close cooperation” between Beijing and Brussels was a “natural choice”.
“As long as China and the EU sincerely defend free trade, then international economy and trade remain dynamic,” he said.
China and the EU also engaged in a joint statement on Thursday to “strengthen their efforts” in the fight against climate change.
Chinese and European leaders have agreed to accentuate cooperation in fields such as energy transition, to accelerate the global deployment of renewable energies or to facilitate access to green technologies.
“Improved mechanism”
At the top of European concerns at this Thursday summit was the abyssal trade deficit with Beijing, which reached $ 357 billion (304 billion euros) last year.
Ursula von der Leyen asked Beijing to open its market more market to European companies and soften its restrictions on the export of rare land – strategic for modern technologies.
On this point, the president of the commission said Thursday that she had agreed with Beijing an “improved” mechanism for Chinese exports of these rare lands. This “support for the supply chain (can) mechanism (can immediately) check and resolve the problem or the question that arises,” she said at a press conference.
Beijing false competition
The EU has imposed heavy customs duties on electric vehicles made in China, accusing Chinese state subsidies of distorting competition, to the detriment of European manufacturers.
Beijing responded with targeted surveys on imports of pork, cognac and European dairy products.
Sanctions against 2 Chinese banks
On the war in Ukraine, Europeans have suspected distrust of the economic and political rapprochement of China-Russia since the invasion of 2022, believing that it provides crucial support in Moscow.
Antonio Costa still urged China Thursday, ahead of Xi Jinping, to “use its influence on Russia” to end the war. Last week, the EU adopted new sanctions against Russia – notably targeting two Chinese banks.
“We do not ask China to cut its ties with Russia but to strengthen its customs and financial controls,” a senior European official told AFP.
