The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrellconsiders that the “systemic rivalry” between the European Union and China -which aspires to become a world leader in 2049- can affect “almost all” areas of the relationshipso the EU should reduce their high “dependency” from Beijing.
This is clear from the document – to which the news agency had access EFE– that the high representative of the EU presented this Friday to the European foreign ministers to guide the debate on the reorientation of the relationship with China that they will maintain today in their informal meeting in Stockholm.
“Clearly, China’s ambition is build a new international order with China at the center. And he does not hide his aspiration to become the world leader, on a par with the United Statesin the middle of the 21st century, symbolically in 2049the centenary of the creation of the People’s Republic of China”, says Borrell in the text.
The leaders of the Chinese Communist Party “explicitly promote a global systemic competition” in which President Xi Jinping “has declared that the strategic contest between China and the United States will last for a long period of time,” says Borrell.
The high representative also mentions the increase in tension in the Taiwan Strait, with the latest Chinese military exercises, marked by “the absence of communication at the political level” between Beijing and Washington since the incident of the balloons that flew over the United States.
China, moreover, ismodernizing its military capabilities, including nuclear and space arsenal.” maintains the head of European diplomacy.
In this context, “it is clear that the EU has become heavily dependent on China for key products” and furthermore, “EU trade with China is deeply unbalanced and at risk of becoming even more unbalanced”, at a time when Beijing “has continued to hinder the access of European companies” to its market.
According to the figures provided by Borrell, the EU’s trade deficit with China has increased by 58% in the last year, since 250,000 million to 396,000 millionwhich is equivalent to 23% of EU GDP.
“The EU has a window of opportunity to reduce the risks and excessive dependencies in our relations” with China, considers Borrell, who advocates using the trade instruments that the EU has provided itself with in recent years to avoid distortions in the single market.
Among them, the regulations to make it difficult for foreign companies that receive subsidies to buy European companies or the possibility that the Twenty-seven have given themselves to defend themselves from the economic coercion of third countries.
“Systemic rivalry can appear in almost all areas of engagement. But this should not deter the EU from maintaining open communication channels and seek constructive cooperation with China”, Exposes Borrell.
A relationship that should be “realistic, pragmatic and sustained”also in Foreign Policy.
Therefore, “involving China in Foreign and Security Policy must be proportional to the significant demonstration of China’s interest in peace and stability.”
For Borrell, the EU must take into account that “Russia’s defeat in Ukraine will not derail China’s trajectory” and that European efforts to get Beijing involved in ending the war must be based on the “rejection” of the “selective focus on key principles of global order” that the Asian giant may have.
In this new vision of the relationship between the EU and China, the high representative also defends the need for the EU to diversify relations with other countries, not only with the US, with whom the relationship is “essential”, but with partners in the Indo-Pacific.
(With information from EFE)
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