On Thursday, European chief President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe must “de-risk” politically and economically as China shifts from reform and opening to security and control.
Von der Leyen seriously assessed Chinese policy ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to China next week, noting that relations with Beijing had grown “more distant and more challenging” in recent years.
She claimed the EU’s handling of China’s economic strength and global influence would determine the EU’s economic success and security.
Von der Leyen said China, whose President Xi Jinping vowed better ties with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin last week, was responsible for forging a “fair peace” in Ukraine that demanded the departure of invading Russian military.
“How China continues to deal with Putin’s conflict will be a defining element for EU-China relations going ahead,” von der Leyen said in a Brussels address.
She said China was growing more oppressive at home and forceful abroad, replacing an age of reform and opening with one of security and control, where enterprises were compelled to support state intelligence-gathering activities.
Von von Leyen said decoupling from China was impossible, but lowering European risks was crucial.
This meant engaging with allies on global concerns and bolstering the world order and institutions rather than Chinese ones diplomatically.
Europe should also keep talking to China about climate change and ecological conservation.
“I’ll be going China with President Macron because of this,” she remarked.
The EU needed to “rebalance” its relationship with China and lessen its dependence on lithium and other important minerals.
Von der Leyen said the EU already had various tools to resist economic distortions and preserve its security interests. Still, it needed also to examine its high-tech with a changing China.
She said the European Commission would propose controls on overseas investments in critical technology later this year to prevent systemic rivals from gaining military or intelligence advantages.
Since 2019, the EU has considered China a partner, economic competitor, and structural opponent.
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