Sánchez, Macron, Borrell and Von der Leyen seek a role for the EU in China that can isolate Russia

The sentence, in any case, was pronounced by the president of the only nuclear power in the Union, Emmanuel Macron.

And it was after the European Council, on the eve of which it had already become known that Pedro Sanchez will be received even sooner by Xi Jinping, who has invited him on March 30 and 31. According to Moncloa sources, in the double capacity of President of the Government of Spain, with whom his country complies 50 years of diplomatic relationsand the next president of the European Union, that the People’s Republic of China does not give away photos with the leader.

And yet, that statement gives Macron’s trip to the Chinese capital the title on April 4: I’m going to see Xi, the “dear friend” of Vladimir Putin; I will do so accompanied by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyenand barely four days after the Spanish president who, like me, has prepared the visit together with Olaf Schölzthe chancellor of Germany.

That, although it was another time, he already took the plane to Beijing last November.

So no one else is missing because, in fact, Giorgia Meloni, Italian Prime Minister, has also been invited by the Chinese President. And they are looking for a date.

Secondary actor

Can one speak, then, of a European offensive to convince China of putting pressure on Russia to end the war? Actually, not so much.

Offensive? That would mean that the European Union has with what to threaten to the Asian giant. Or at least, with what to encourage. And if there is little of the first, with the second the Twenty-seven would fall into what, really, Beijing is looking for: the disunity of the West and more advantages for its growing economic influence – and, with it, political – in a world that has returned to the struggle of the great powers among themselves.

As Europe, for the moment, is not, it has no lever to activate. she made it clear Josep Borrell at the beginning of this course, in his harangue to the ambassadors of the Union: since the end of the Cold War, the Europeans we have entrusted our defense to the USA (that, before) and our economy, in the hands of Russia and China. And so the world stopped being unipolar long ago.

That’s where the European supporting actor can come in, finding a role of his own among the Chinese and American rivals. Sánchez, in fact, will play his part at the Ibero-American Summit this weekend. Hand in hand with Borrell, he will try to involve the Southern Cone more with the West and his commitment to international law, human rights and the rejection of the use of force as a method of imposing wills.

But while the High Representative tries to put together a common security and defense policy -the only competence in which the term “European Union” does not operate in the Treaties-, the EU can exercise moral power. To begin with, we are the theater of operations; and to continue, if China has shown anything, it is that he doesn’t want to get into any more trouble than those that give you benefits.

The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres He was these days in Brussels. AND warned of the “risk of isolating China” at a time when the worst plot twist would be for Xi to go from words “special friendship” to deeds, supplying Putin with weapons.

That is why Xi embraces Putin but China does not vote in his favor in the United Nations resolutions. And that is why Beijing offers its markets to Moscow to replace those that Europe has closed with the 10 packages of sanctions but does not sell it weapons.

Or so it seemed until this week. Washington has made it known that there are intelligence reports that suggest that there are already contacts at the highest level. But at the same time, NATO says that “there is no evidence” of this. What would be the difference? whatWe Westerners are not arming Ukrainethe other combatant in this war?

“Beijing has to differentiate between the aggressor and the attacked”Borrell has said these days, in his public statements during the summit of heads of State and Government of the Union.

“The European position is clear, we are with the Charter of the United Nations, which is the world order based on rules,” he added. kaja kallas, Prime Minister of Estonia. And these rules are basically the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each nation.

scripts for peace

That is the differential nuance between the two plans for peace that, for the moment, are known to exist. The decalogue promoted by Volodimir ZelenskyUkrainian president, and the proposal that Xi Jinping says he has to offer.

Although those 13 points have not yet been made public in their explicitness, one thing is known. That they bet more on a ceasefire from the current positions of the battlefield than on “the withdrawal of Russian troops beyond internationally recognized borders” Ukraine, which is where the EU and NATO set the starting point for sitting at the table.

And who says that? “I will listen to what Xi has to saysince China is a fundamental actor”, Sánchez said this Friday, “but I will also let you know that it is kyiv who will decide how to make peace, only thus can it be lasting and just“. And the role of Zelenski, in that, is exhaustive.

These days, Moncloa sources sent confusing messages about the role of the Spanish president in his visit to Beijing.

On the one hand, all the lights were directed at Sánchez, attributing “to his international weight” the fact that he is the first representative of the West to go see Xi after the Chinese president’s recent trip to Moscow. and from the other They denied that in their interview the Spanish head of government was going to play a leading role in the resolution of the conflict that has returned the war to Europe.

On the one hand, they linked their visit to the fact that Spain is going to assume the rotating presidency of the union from July, and they admitted that Sánchez had prepared the trip with other EU leaders, and even that he had reported to the White House.

…but on the other, they ruled out that Sánchez represented in any case the common European position, and that would be in Beijing as president of Spain, in a bilateral meeting, because “there are many fields in which to deepen relationships”. Which is it? Tourism, agricultural exports and investments. That is to say, “less sensitive sectors” as far as no partner or ally believes that we are at two decks.

Which is what Scholz was accused of when he made this same trip, to see Xi, last November.

the leading role

On Wednesday night, Moncloa confirmed the rumor of Sánchez in Beijing with a journalistic leak. On Thursday the French delegation confirmed Macron’s. And on Friday, Eric Mamerspokesman for Von der Leyen, announced that the president of the Commission will get on the French plane.

The French president, whose statements are often more ambitious than his deeds, said the goal is “try to bring China to our side to put pressure on Russia”.

For the war to end? Not so much. Startup, “so you don’t use chemical and nuclear weaponsbut also to do everything to stop the conflict and return to the negotiating table,” he said at a press conference.

Both had met alone with Scholz previously. Sources close to the Spanish president confirmed that positions were joined with the chancellor. But unlike Sánchez, Macron did say that he had “committed to be coordinated and bring a European voice” to China.

“We have raised the matter this morning with the chancellor and we have a common perspective. We have a European position that has been defined for several months and that we maintain,” said the French president.

Little is understood, therefore, by Moncloa’s reluctance to confirm that, with more or less weight, Sánchez will take a coordinated message to Beijing. “There’s no point in saying that, just as there’s no point in suggesting that you don’t. Spain is purposefulthe president is in the European position, and he will always do everything he can for peace”.