Talks Foreseen Over Trade, War and Stability
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will be travelling with French President Emmanuel Macron to China next week, to discuss relationships with the country – which is consolidating its partnership with Russia. Trade, peace in Ukraine and critical raw materials are on the agenda, sources in Brussels and Paris said on 27 March.
Macron, who invited Von der Leyen to join him, was already due to pay a state visit to Beijing from 5 to 8 April as part of national initiative. Despite their essential trade partnership, including that on rare earths, the relationship between Beijing and Brussels has deteriorated lately, due to Beijing’s growing closeness to Russia, the impressive growth of its armed forces and the aggressive posture it has taken in the Pacific. Nevertheless, China is an “extremely important partner for the EU and an important country in terms of international relations on many different aspects, on different levels”, EU chief spokesman, Eric Mamer, said on 27 March.
A senior EU official added the visit would be a reflection on the various dimensions of China’s overall role, “which is evidently shifting,” adding the EU is watching Beijing’s growing assertiveness closely and is well aware of European dependency on certain raw materials from the Asian country, which owns 90% of worldwide production.
According to a French source, the idea of the visit is “to de-risk and not to decouple,” and to demonstrate solid European unity. At last week’s EUCO, however, some countries – mainly from Eastern Europe, which is the bloc’s portion most aligned with US positions – expressed concerns over China’s future role.
Alongside these issues, Macron will also touch upon other geopolitical hotspots, such as the Middle East, Africa, and the increasing tensions in the Indo-Pacific: Paris owns the world’s second largest Exclusive Economic Zone in the region, which is home to a million French nationals. Climate change and other issues of global interest will also figure on the agenda. The French source indicates it is essential “to continue to engage with China”, as the country sits on the UN Security Council and is a key player in scientific, demographic, strategic and other issues.
Last week, French and high-level Chinese officials and diplomats reported contacts, reaffirming their commitment to peace and the importance of multilateralism. In the meantime, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is expected to meet Chinese president Xi Jinping to discuss similar issues.
These visits could represent a potential opportunity to decrease growing tensions between the West – in particular, the United States and the Pacific anglosphere – and the PRC.
Caterina Tani reporting from Brussels for MON
