EU to issue firm words at China summit with limited expectations
BRUSSELS: In a summit with Chinese leaders on Thursday ( Dec. 7 ) that is anticipated to be long on firm words but short on results, top EU officials will bring up an array of concerns, from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to trade irritants.
On their one-day trip to Beijing, Premier Li Qiang and Chinese President Xi Jinping are met by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel, and Josep Borrell, head of the EU’s international policy.
The talks on Thursday may not result in a joint statement, according to EU officials, and the first in-person EU-China conference since 2019 is not expected to produce any significant results.
Never a single exceptional project will be the summit’s crowning achievement, according to one EU official.
Contrarily, Xi and US President Joe Biden did reach agreements during their November gathering in California, though there were still some unresolved issues, especially those pertaining to Taiwan.
Although the European Union will also be concerned about Chinese objectives toward Taiwan, its main concern will become Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The European Union wants Beijing to use its clout to halt the conflict, emphasize the need for Russia to adhere to punishment, and bring up the growing Northern Korean-Russian arms trade.
The alliance also worries about what it views as “imbalanced” economic ties, claiming that its trade deficit with China, which is close to €400 billion, is due to limitations on International businesses.
China may be expected to inquire about an EU anti-subsidy exploration into Chinese electric vehicles as well as the EU’s “de-risking” policy to lessen its reliance on Chinese exports, especially of essential raw materials.
According to EU leaders, the two sides could work together more on efforts to combat climate change and advance wildlife.
They even make reference to a series of discussions organized around business and macroeconomics. The round business, which could increase the number of food products whose names may be protected, as well as the EU’s proposed import tariff on CO2 emissions, are two examples. For example, the term “feta” could only be used to describe a particular Greek cheese.
According to an EU official, although these are not necessarily significant summit deliverables, there are some areas where working theoretically and practically together can help us make a difference.
