EU member states agree to end excessive ‘dependence’ on China

The head of European diplomacy announced this Friday that most member states have agreed to end excessive “dependence” on China, but have rejected that the European Union (EU) is moving towards economic protectionism.

“I can report that most ministers liked the document that we presented, with the general lines of recalibration of our relations with China. […]get rid of dependencies when they are too big and therefore a risk,” said Josep Borrell at the end of an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Stockholm, Sweden.

The priority of the 27 countries, according to the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, should be “balancing trade balances” with Beijing.

However, Josep Borrell assured that the European Union “is not moving towards protectionism.”

The head of European diplomacy considered that the imbalance between the “two economic forces” creates a “problem of economic security.”

On Monday, after meeting in Lisbon with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, Prime Minister António Costa tweeted that a greater trade balance should be found with Beijing.

Josep Borrell also mentioned that there are two security issues with China: Taiwan and the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine.

Regarding the former, he reaffirmed the EU’s position that there should be only one China, but that the dispute between Beijing and Taipei, which has been going on for more than a century, should be resolved through dialogue.

The Beijing regime considers Taiwan a rebellious province and threatens to seize it by force if the island of 23 million people declares independence.

The island is separated from the mainland of China by the Taiwan Strait, which is 130 kilometers away at its closest point, which is one of the main transit routes for goods from the region to world markets.

Regarding the Russian invasion, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs today urged China to recognize the role it can play in a ceasefire and peace agreement, insisting that it should be designed with Ukraine in mind.

The EU and the US have been critical of Beijing’s ambiguous stance on the war, which began more than a year ago, and doubts remain about China’s intentions to supply arms to Moscow.

Last week, the European Commission presented EU member states with a new package of restrictive measures against Russia, the eleventh, to prevent Moscow from circumventing already existing sanctions.

According to a document cited by the French news agency AFP, the proposal is for the first time directed against eight Chinese and Hong Kong companies accused of re-exporting sensitive goods to Russia.

Beijing has said it has taken a neutral stance and has even presented a peace plan, although it is not very specific and does not offer solutions to the demands of the two countries involved.