Chinese President Xi Jinping met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in early April.
Xinhua News Agency | Xinhua News Agency | Getty Images
European Union officials on Tuesday called for a new and joint approach toward China, following French President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial comments on Taiwan earlier this month. However, this new strategy is unlikely to please the United States.
The Biden administration has so far adopted a particularly critical tone toward Beijing and put forward measures to restrict China’s influence, including export restrictions on certain technologies. It has pushed European nations to do the same.
European nations currently have different views on dealing with Beijing. Some capitals favor a closer relationship with the U.S., given its critical role on security and defense — while other countries are afraid of antagonizing China and endangering deep economic ties. This has resulted in a divided approach towards China.
“I believe we can, and we must, carve out our own distinct European approach that also leaves space for us to cooperate with other partners, too,” Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission — the executive arm of the EU — said during a speech on Tuesday.
She argued that the relationship with China “is too important for us not to define our own European strategy and principles.”
China was the largest source of EU imports and the third largest buyer of EU goods in 2022, according to Eurostat, highlighting Beijing’s economic importance for Europe. This is particularly relevant when economic growth in the EU is vulnerable to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
European leaders have also tried to forge closer relations with Beijing, so that the latter refrains from supporting Russia in the war with Ukraine. United States intelligence suggested China considered sending weapons and other ammunition to Russia, according to NBC News.
There is also the question of climate change, where many EU…
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