Von der Leyen wants to address "imbalances and differences" at EU-China summit
"Sometimes our interests coincide," said von der Leyen, referring to the cooperation between the EU and China on climate policy and artificial intelligence. "And when they don't align, we need to address the concerns we have and deal with them responsibly," she said.
Michel said the EU was seeking a "stable and mutually beneficial" relationship with China. But the EU would also reaffirm "our European values, including human rights and democracy" at the summit. In his opening speech, Xi said that China and the EU must "respond to global challenges together".
The schedule for the EU leaders in Beijing is tight: A working lunch is planned following the meeting with Xi. Von der Leyen and Michel then want to hold talks with China's head of government Li Qiang before attending an official dinner and a press conference in the evening.
In addition to topics such as climate change and health, more controversial issues are also to be discussed at the summit in Beijing. Von der Leyen had already called on China to compromise on trade disputes in the run-up to the summit. "The European heads of state and government will not tolerate an imbalance in trade relations in the long term," she told the AFP news agency in an interview with several agencies on Tuesday. "We have instruments at our disposal to protect our market."
Beijing responded by saying that the EU's efforts to curb the export of sensitive technology to China in order to balance trade made "no sense".
In addition to the trade imbalance, the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the war in the Middle East will also be discussed. Von der Leyen also wants to call on Beijing to lift sanctions against European politicians.
China had imposed entry bans and other measures in 2021, including against MEP and former co-leader of the German Greens, Reinhard Bütikofer. This was Beijing's response to EU sanctions due to the oppression of the Muslim Uyghur minority in China.
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- Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the need to address "imbalances and differences" in the EU-China summit's context.
- At the summit meeting, von der Leyen will advocate for addressing the concerns related to misaligned interests with China.
- EU leaders, including von der Leyen, aim for a "stable and mutually beneficial" relationship with China, while upholding European values.
- Xi Jinping, during his opening speech, proposed responding to global challenges together with the EU.
- In Peking, von der Leyen and Michel plan to discuss controversial topics, such as trade disputes, beyond climate change and health.
- Leyen has urged China to find a compromise on trade disagreements in preparation for the EU-China summit.
- From the EU's perspective, tolerating an imbalance in trade relations is not tenable in the long term, and they have tools to protect their market.
- Beijing disagreed with EU efforts to curb the export of sensitive technology to counterbalance trade, calling it nonsensical.
- Reinhard Bütikofer, an MEP, faced entry bans and measures in 2021 in retaliation for EU sanctions against China's oppression of the Muslim Uyghur minority.
- Von der Leyen intends to appeal to Beijing to lift sanctions against European politicians during the EU-China summit discussions.
Source: www.stern.de
