Borrell calls for the EU to be a “well-tuned chorus” when talking about China and points to Taiwan as part of the bloc’s “geostrategic perimeter”
STRASBOURG (FRANCE), 18 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has demanded this Tuesday that Europe study investment control instruments in China that can be used for military purposes, as part of its repositioning for more balanced relations with the Asian giant.
In a parliamentary debate focused on relations with China after her trip to Beijing with French President Emmanuel Macron, the leader of the European Executive announced that the European Commission will include these investment control instruments within the framework of the new economic strategy that will present in the coming months.
Von der Leyen has emphasized that European capital should not be used to strengthen the military and intelligence capabilities of the “systemic rivals” of the EU. “That cannot be. So we have to see where there are loopholes in our policies that allow the leakage of emerging and sensitive technologies through investments in other countries,” she stressed.
In this way, he has delved into the idea that Europe makes effective use of economic protection mechanisms against China, in an attempt to defend itself against unfair practices by Beijing. “We have equipped ourselves with the right tools to deal with security problems and economic distortions. So we must be more assertive when it comes to using them when we need them,” she defended.
In any case, the German conservative has reiterated that there are many European interests in China, which is why she has advocated promoting political dialogue with Beijing and reducing risks in the trade relationship by promoting diversification and strengthening supply chains.
For Von der Leyen, the international and economic weight of China and European interests show that breaking commercially with Beijing “is not clearly viable, desirable or even practical for Europe” and he has insisted on the need to limit risks and dependencies on the relationship.
UNITY OF THE EU AND AVOIDING A NEW COLD WAR
Previously, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, has advocated “recalibrating” European policy towards Beijing with “realism” and adapting it to the “new circumstances” of a China whose influence and political weight is increasing.
In any case, he has called for avoiding a cold war between West and East and paying more attention to the needs of the countries of the South, which Beijing seeks to attract to establish a new world order. “Seeing the world through the triangle United States-China-Europe is a reduced and reducing vision,” she has warned.
Despite the “rivalry” with the Asian giant, Borrell has insisted that coordination with Beijing should not be rejected in the face of major global problems such as the climate issue or the debt problem of third countries “because China is not a democracy.”
To this end, the head of European diplomacy has advocated “aligning positions” in Europe and for the bloc to be a “well-tuned choir” when talking about China. “There may be many voices but trying to say the same thing or for the same thing on the same wavelength. Plurality should not be a problem when there is a consensual position,” he explained.
In any case, he has stressed that the relationship with China will inevitably depend on the role it plays in relation to Ukraine and also on the situation in the Indo-Pacific region, where Borrell has described Taiwan as part of Europe’s “geostrategic perimeter”. and it has proposed to guarantee peace and defend the interests of the continent “without adding fuel to the fire”.
In his opinion, Europe should have its fleets in the area to ensure navigation on a key trade route and promote stability with a leading semiconductor supplier. “If we want to be a geopolitical power, we have to be present in all parts of the world to reaffirm positions, call for calm and prevent provocations wherever they come from,” she argued.
Along the same lines, the president of the European Commission has stated that the ‘one China’ policy goes back a long way and Brussels defends stability in Taiwan and opposes “any unilateral change of the ‘status quo’, in particular through the use of force”.
