[ad_1]
BRUSSELS — The EU’s two leaders will fly to China subsequent month for the primary face-to-face summit to be held in 4 years, amid a flurry of commerce and safety issues stemming from Beijing’s geopolitical ambition.
European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen talked about the schedule whereas addressing a convention of EU ambassadors on Monday, calling for a “clear-eyed” strategy to Beijing’s hardening world posture.
“We’ve got invested in intensive dialogue with Beijing — from 4 Excessive-Degree Dialogues to the upcoming Summit in December,” von der Leyen mentioned.
Her European Council counterpart, Charles Michel, may also attend the summit, whereas both President Xi Jinping or Premier Li Qiang is predicted to co-chair it. Beijing has but to announce a date or a venue for the talks.
Von der Leyen hailed the EU for mounting commerce protection measures, together with the Fee’s probe into state subsidies behind made-in-China electrical autos. She additionally doubled down on the necessity to de-risk from China, an idea that she first proposed earlier than it was adopted extra broadly by the G7 membership of wealthy nations.
“By now China is our most essential buying and selling accomplice by way of items. However on the identical time, issues about unfair and at instances predatory practices distorting our market are rising,” she mentioned, citing “commerce coercion, boycotts of European items, and export controls on essential uncooked supplies.”
She added: “This exhibits that whereas we don’t need to decouple from China, we do must de-risk elements of our relationship.”
Von der Leyen confused that Beijing’s views on world safety “aren’t by default aligned with ours.”
“We should get China proper. We should recognise that there’s an specific aspect of rivalry in our relationship,” she mentioned. “The Chinese language Communist Social gathering’s clear aim is a systemic change of the worldwide order, with China at its middle.”
[ad_2]
Source link
