Chinese President Xi Jinping, along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other key European Union leaders, held a video summit Monday (Sept. 14) that is expected to discuss tough topics such as trade, human rights and climate change. Prior to the meeting, the parties signed an agreement to protect each other’s exports of food and beverages with geographical indications.
For example, China will only allow cavas from the Champagne region of France to use this name. Other products protected under the agreement include Irish whiskey, Italian Parma ham, Greek feta cheese, Chinese Pixian bean paste, Anji white tea, and Panjin rice, among others.
China is the EU’s third-largest exporter of agricultural and food products in 2019, with exports worth 14.5 billion euros ($17.2 billion).
Monday’s signing of the agreement on the protection of food and beverages with geographical indications is a commercial achievement for the EU against China, but the summit that follows is full of challenges on much bigger issues, with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Charles Michel in attendance, in addition to Chinese leader Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.)
Analysts believe that European countries are now taking a tougher stance toward Beijing. Some argue that Europe’s perception of China has changed, and that Xi Jinping is no longer facing the EU of the past. China and Europe are increasingly divided over Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Xinjiang. This can be seen from the fact that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was asked about Hong Kong and human rights issues in China during his recent visit to five European countries.
The human rights issue between the EU and China was considered one of the thorniest topics of the talks. The EU has criticized Hong Kong police for arresting dozens of pro-democracy activists, including Hong Kong Democratic Party lawmakers Lam Cheuk-ting and Hui Chi-fung, who were arrested on August 26. They were arrested and charged in connection with the anti-government protests that rocked Hong Kong and the world last year.
The European Union immediately condemned Beijing’s imposition of Hong Kong’s version of the National Security Law on June 30, saying it could seriously undermine Hong Kong’s autonomy and judicial independence. European Commission President Von der Leyen charged that China would face “very negative consequences” in terms of business confidence and the country’s reputation.
The EU has also protested China’s crackdown on Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang. Senior EU officials have said that Europe is concerned about Uighur issues in Xinjiang as a powerful force in the defense of human rights.
In terms of trade, the EU believes that China’s market should be opened up to Europe and that China needs to stop what the EU considers to be China’s discriminatory regulations.
The EU also wants China to make a greater commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. China is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
In addition, the European Commission released a report in June of this year accusing China of using social media to spread false and misleading information in an attempt to improve its image in the context of the neo-crowning epidemic.
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