The China issue will be the focus of U.S. President Joe Biden’s first visit to Europe as president in June, and the U.S. media “Politico” revealed on the 25th an internal report from the EU top brass, pointing out that due to concerns about Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “authoritarian turn,” the EU is hardening its position on China. The report also calls for close attention to be paid to the recent rise in tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
“Politico Europe points out that the report was circulated among member states last week to assess the changes in the situation since the release of the 2019 “Europe-China Strategic Outlook” report. The EU acknowledges that the environment has now become “more challenging”, reflecting the unexpectedly rapid deterioration of diplomatic relations since the signing of the EU-China investment agreement with China late last year.
The report notes that Beijing has taken a “more authoritarian course” over the past 20 years, “continuing its authoritarian turn, expanding the blocking of domestic political space and increasing social control and repression in Xinjiang and Tibet. China is also suppressing fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong. …… can only have a negative impact on European-Chinese relations.”
The report mentions Taiwan and the South China Sea, “The interests of the EU are clearly at stake for peace and stability in the South China Sea. The recent rise in tensions in the Taiwan Strait should be closely monitored.” Trade and technology are also two key themes, with the report citing Beijing’s use of delaying tactics and “little progress” on economic commitments such as opening up digital and agricultural markets, addressing steel production surpluses and curbing industrial subsidy policies.
The report cites the acquisition of the right to operate Greece’s largest port, Piraeus, as an example of the need to prevent Chinese state-owned enterprises from taking advantage of the economic downturn in the post-epidemic era to seize key European industries, and calls on the EU to continue to strengthen the security of key infrastructures and the science and technology base.
The report said the EU’s approach to dealing with China remains multi-oriented, but at the same time, “further and stronger efforts are needed to implement existing actions and to address some of the new challenges.”
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