The European Union headquarters building in Brussels, Belgium.
The EU condemned the Chinese Communist regime’s human rights record at a recent meeting, while Beijing sought to do more trade and investment with Central and Eastern European countries.
Around the same Time, France sent a warship and submarine on a “freedom of navigation” patrol in the South China Sea, drawing the ire of Beijing.
Some Chinese analysts say these moves show that while European countries want to do business with China, they are also taking a tough stance against Beijing’s aggression.
Wang Yi-Borelli Video Conference
On February 8, Chinese Communist Party Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a videoconference with Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
According to an EU statement on the meeting, Borrell stressed that the EU is “strongly concerned about the continued pressure on democracy and fundamental rights in Hong Kong, the treatment of human rights defenders, and the treatment of ethnic and religious minorities, particularly in Xinjiang.
In a statement issued in response to the meeting, Beijing said Wang emphasized that the Hong Kong issue, human rights and the Xinjiang issue are all internal affairs of China and opposes intervention by other countries.
The Communist Party’s official media framed reports by Western media and Western governments on the Communist Party’s human rights abuses in Xinjiang as fake news.
According to the EU statement, Borrelli also discussed Myanmar during his meeting with Wang Yi and expressed deep concern over Iran’s nuclear issue. Borrelli also “underlined the strong ties between the EU and the United States.”
China said in a statement that Wang and Borrelli “exchanged views on relations with the United States, Myanmar and Iran,” but did not provide further details.
Beijing’s statement focused on Wang Yi’s comments on China-EU relations, while the EU statement did not comment on the matter.
France’s Warship to South China Sea Upsets Communist China
U.S.-based China affairs commentator Tang Jingyuan said the EU’s relationship with China is moving in the direction of the U.S.-China relationship, with tensions more pronounced.
In March 2019, the EU for the first time referred to the Chinese Communist Party as a “systemic adversary promoting alternative governance models” and an “economic competitor,” emphasizing the Communist Party’s pursuit of technological dominance.
Tang noted an unusual move by France on Feb. 8, when it sent a warship and a nuclear submarine on a “freedom of navigation” patrol in the South China Sea. The Communist regime claims much of the waterway as its territory, although several other Asian countries have also claimed the waterway.
French Defense Minister Florence Parly tweeted a photo of the two warships that went to the China Sea.
“This proves that our navy is capable of long voyages and long-term navigation and that our strategic partners are the Australians, the Americans and The Japanese.” Paley said.
Beijing condemned the French move on Feb. 9.
Communist China’s expansionist policy in the Indo-Pacific region has also raised concerns in Germany. The Nikkei Asian Review last month quoted sources familiar with the matter as saying Germany was considering sending a naval cruiser to the Indo-Pacific region as early as this summer, with stops in Japan, South Korea and Australia, and not even ruling out sailing through the South China Sea.
The Nikkei reports that this is a rare move for Germany, which has no Indo-Pacific territory of its own, unlike Britain and France. The German naval patrol ship is also planned to sail through the disputed South China Sea.
After years of shaping its Asia strategy around China, Germany abruptly halted that strategy last fall and instead focused on strengthening partnerships with democracies such as Japan and South Korea to promote the rule of law. The German cabinet approved new “Guidelines for an Indo-Pacific Regional Policy” that emphasize the importance of the rule of law and the promotion of open markets in the region.
EU Fears Communist Split in Europe
On Feb. 9, Beijing held a “17+1” summit with leaders of Central and Eastern European countries. The “17+1” is a group of 17 Eastern and Central European countries and China.
In recent years, Beijing has sought to build closer economic ties with CEE countries, mainly through investments in technology and infrastructure projects.
The EU has long viewed the “17+1” platform as a means for the Chinese Communist Party to attempt to divide Europe. Former German Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has called on Beijing to respect the “One Europe Policy,” saying that the Communist Party is “dividing Europe” and threatening its “unity. “The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Mr. Bokhary, has called on Beijing to respect the One Europe Policy.
In an article published in several European newspapers last May, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Borrelli warned EU member states that Beijing was exploiting their diplomatic differences for its own purposes and that the EU should therefore maintain a unified position.
“Developing a joint EU approach to dealing with the powerful is never easy, as each member state has its own views and sensitivities. There is no exception when it comes to China. Moreover, China (the Chinese Communist Party) is sometimes completely unashamed to exploit these differences. But what is certain is that it is up to us Europeans to maintain the necessary collective discipline. Unity is a prerequisite for the EU to exert its influence.”
During his tenure, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tried to remind these countries of the security risks of doing business with China. In particular, he urged European countries to reject 5G telecom equipment from Chinese tech giant huawei.
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