The EU remained open to cooperation with China on major international issues such as climate change and health
\nBRUSSELS
\nEuropean Union leaders said on Friday they would stand up for their principles and independence in relations with China, but warned against being drawn into confrontation and a breakdown in ties.
\nDuring their Brussels summit, the 27-nation bloc held three hours of strategic talks on its approach to China as President Xi Jinping tightens his grip over an ever more assertive Beijing.
\nTorn between the desire to access China\u2019s vast market and condemnation of its rights abuses and aggressive regional policies, the EU has struggled to fashion a cohesive stance towards Beijing.
\n\u201cWe will always be firm in standing up to defend our principles, democracy, fundamental freedom,\u201d Michel said.
\n\u201cWe believe that we must be committed to bringing more reciprocity and rebalancing in particular in the economic relations between China and the EU.\u201d
\nMichel said that the EU remained open to cooperation with China on major international issues such as climate change and health.
\nHe insisted that the bloc had its \u201cown model to develop\u201d at a time of intensifying rivalry between China and the United States.
\nThe EU\u2019s executive head, Ursula von der Leyen, said Beijing was \u201ccontinuing its mission to establish its dominance in East Asia and its influence globally\u201d.
\nShe also warned about the close ties between China and Russia as Moscow has rocked the international order by launching its war on Ukraine. The European Union is witnessing an acceleration of tensions with China, Ursula von der Leyen said.
\n\u201cThe discussion showed that we\u2019re witnessing quite an acceleration of trends and tensions. It was very clear from the Congress that President Xi is continuing to reinforce the very assertive and self-reliant course China has taken,\u201d she told reporters during a press conference, referring to the Chinese Communist Party conference, which opened last week.
\n\u201cThe Chinese system is fundamentally different from ours and we are aware of the nature of the rivalry.\u201d, von der Leyen said.
\nThe European Union is witnessing an acceleration of tensions with China, Ursula von der Leyen added.
\n\u201cThe discussion showed that we\u2019re witnessing quite an acceleration of trends and tensions. It was very clear from the Congress that President Xi is continuing to reinforce the very assertive and self-reliant course China has taken,\u201d she told reporters during a press conference, referring to the Chinese Communist Party conference, which opened last week.
\nChastened by the chaos caused by its reliance on Russia for energy, the EU is keen to ensure it doesn\u2019t fall into the same trap by becoming dependent on China for critical raw materials and technologies.
\n\u201cObviously, we have to be very vigilant when it comes to dependencies. And we\u2019ve learned our lesson,\u201d von der Leyen said. The EU is seeking to present a united front over China but that has been clouded by the differing economic interests of its members.
\nOlaf Scholz, the leader of the bloc\u2019s economic powerhouse Germany, announced on Friday after the summit that he would take a government delegation to China next month.
\nIt will be the first visit by an EU leader to the country since Nov 2019.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The EU remained open to cooperation with China on major international issues such as climate change and health BRUSSELS European Union leaders said on Friday they would stand up for their principles and independence in relations with China, but warned against being drawn into confrontation and a breakdown in ties. During their Brussels summit, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":290967,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-290954","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n