Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday said that China and the EU must deepen trust in a turbulent world, but the bloc’s top officials called for “real solutions” to move past an inflection point as they met in Beijing.
China’s leadership has sought to draw the EU closer as it positions itself as a more reliable partner than the US, but the EU has made clear that there are deep divisions over trade, fears that cheap, subsidized Chinese goods could overwhelm European markets and Beijing’s tacit support for Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Although nominally intended to celebrate 50 years of diplomatic ties, the long list of grievances set the stage for a contentious summit.
Photo: Reuters
Welcoming EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa at the Great Hall of the People, Xi said that “the more severe and complex the international situation is, the more important it is for China and the EU to strengthen communication, increase mutual trust and deepen cooperation.”
In the context of that turmoil, Chinese and European leaders must “make correct strategic choices that meet the expectations of the people and stand the test of history,” Xi said.
“The challenges facing Europe at present do not come from China,” he said. “There are no fundamental conflicts of interest or geopolitical contradictions between China and the EU.”
Von der Leyen said that “it is vital for China and Europe to acknowledge our respective concerns and come forward with real solutions.”
Ties had reached an “inflection point,” she said.
Costa said that the bloc wanted to see “concrete progress on issues related to trade and the economy, and we both want our relationship to be ... mutually beneficial.”
Brussels had acknowledged that the talks between its top officials, and Xi and Chinese Premier Li Qiang (李強) later yesterday would be tense.
“We know that we don’t see eye to eye with China on many issues, but we believe that it is essential to have this kind of very direct, and open and constructive conversation sitting at the table at the highest level,” a senior EU official told reporters last week.
Top of the agenda for the EU is the yawning trade deficit with China that stood at about US$360 billion last year and which Von der Leyen has described as “unsustainable.”
Beijing has dismissed those concerns, insisting that Brussels must “rebalance its mentality,” not its economic ties with China.
Brussels was to demand that China ease market access for European companies and loosen export controls on strategically crucial rare earths, Von der Leyen has said.
The EU has imposed hefty tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China, arguing that Beijing’s industrial subsidies unfairly undercut European competitors.
China has rebuffed that claim and announced what were widely seen as retaliatory probes into imported European pork, brandy and dairy products.
A second key source of friction is Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Brussels says that China’s deepening political and economic relations with Russia since the 2022 invasion represent tacit support for Moscow that have helped its economy weather sweeping Western sanctions.
In the meeting with Xi yesterday, Costa urged China to “use its influence” on Russia to help end Moscow’s “war of aggression.”
Trinidad and Tobago declared a new state of emergency on Friday after authorities accused a criminal network operating in prisons across the country of plotting to kill key government officials and attack public institutions. It is the second state of emergency to be declared in the twin-island republic in a matter of months. In December last year, authorities took similar action, citing concerns about gang violence. That state of emergency lasted until mid-April. Police said that smuggled cellphones enabled those involved in the plot to exchange encrypted messages. Months of intelligence gathering led investigators to believe the targets included senior police officers,
FOREST SITE: A rescue helicopter spotted the burning fuselage of the plane in a forested area, with rescue personnel saying they saw no evidence of survivors A passenger plane carrying nearly 50 people crashed yesterday in a remote spot in Russia’s far eastern region of Amur, with no immediate signs of survivors, authorities said. The aircraft, a twin-propeller Antonov-24 operated by Angara Airlines, was headed to the town of Tynda from the city of Blagoveshchensk when it disappeared from radar at about 1pm. A rescue helicopter later spotted the burning fuselage of the plane on a forested mountain slope about 16km from Tynda. Videos published by Russian investigators showed what appeared to be columns of smoke billowing from the wreckage of the plane in a dense, forested area. Rescuers in
A disillusioned Japanese electorate feeling the economic pinch goes to the polls today, as a right-wing party promoting a “Japanese first” agenda gains popularity, with fears over foreigners becoming a major election issue. Birthed on YouTube during the COVID-19 pandemic, spreading conspiracy theories about vaccinations and a cabal of global elites, the Sanseito Party has widened its appeal ahead of today’s upper house vote — railing against immigration and dragging rhetoric that was once confined to Japan’s political fringes into the mainstream. Polls show the party might only secure 10 to 15 of the 125 seats up for grabs, but it is
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr is to meet US President Donald Trump this week, hoping Manila’s status as a key Asian ally would secure a more favorable trade deal before the deadline on Friday next week. Marcos would be the first Southeast Asian leader to meet Trump in his second term. Trump has already struck trade deals with two of Manila’s regional partners, Vietnam and Indonesia, driving tough bargains in trade talks even with close allies that Washington needs to keep onside in its strategic rivalry with China. “I expect our discussions to focus on security and defense, of course, but also
RSS