The European Union (EU) and China held their 24th Summit in Beijing on 7 December 2023. President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, met with China’s President, Xi Jinping, followed by an exchange with China’s Premier, Li Qiang.
The Summit was an opportunity to engage with China following a period of intensified bilateral contacts and dialogues. High-level visits and dialogues on strategic and foreign policy issues, human rights as well as trade and economy, climate, and environment, digital have paved the way for the Summit, demonstrating the EU’s commitment to engage with China. The EU highlighted the need for concrete progress following these discussions.
“The EU-China relationship is one that matters. But we need to make our trade and economic relations more balanced, reciprocal, and mutually beneficial. We will continue to work for equal opportunities for our companies. Today should be a first step. We also count on China, as a Permanent Member of the UNSC, to protect the UN charter and notably the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. We will continue to engage with China based on transparency, predictability, and reciprocity.”, said President of the European Council Charles Michel
“Our relationship with China is complex and we have a responsibility to make it work. We agreed that it is in our joint interest to have balanced trade relations. And we need to address challenges in a world with increasing geopolitical frictions. We must all work to ensure Russia stops its war of aggression against Ukraine,” said President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
The EU stressed the importance of a well-functioning, rules-based international order, with the United Nations at its core. The leaders discussed Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The EU reiterated that, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has a special responsibility in upholding the UN Charter’s core principles, including territorial integrity and sovereignty. The EU called on China to use its influence on Russia to stop its war of aggression and strongly encouraged China to engage on Ukraine’s Peace Formula. The EU underlined the importance of China continuing to refrain from supplying lethal weapons to Russia. The EU equally urged China to prevent any attempts by Russia to circumvent or undermine the impact of sanctions.
You might be well-acquainted with the EU’s triple perspective on China—as a partner, competitor, and systemic rival—which China has consistently refuted, especially the characterization of rivalry.
On Thursday, after four years of the EU’s three-pronged approach towards China casting a shadow, China presented its own trilateral definitions of its relationship with the EU, all under the framework of partnership.
China
is willing to see the EU as a “key” partner for trade, a
“priority” partner for innovation, and a “trustworthy”
partner for the industrial and supply chain, according to the Chinese
readout of Chinese President Xi’s meeting with both President Michel
and President von der Leyen on Thursday morning.
China’s
nuanced “triple partner positioning” towards Europe, in contrast
to the EU’s established ‘triple positioning,” carries profound
implications:
The economic and trade closeness between China and the EU is self-evident, as reflected in their daily trade volume, which averages around 2.3 billion euros. Both are pivotal economic powerhouses and primary global trade partners, reciprocally holding the position of the second-largest trading partner in goods.
Elevating the EU to a “priority partner” for scientific and technological cooperation signifies a forward-thinking strategy. Despite the EU’s robust foundation in fundamental research and skilled talent, bridging the gap between basic research and commercial application remains a significant challenge. Strengthening technological collaboration amidst global power dynamics holds immense promise.
Within the supply chain realm, fostering “trustworthy” partnerships resonates strongly within the business community. Both China and the EU advocate for multilateralism and share vested interests in preserving global supply chain stability. Their interconnectedness underscores the need for mutually beneficial collaboration that extends beyond bilateral gains, impacting the global community positively.
However, the realisation of this envisioned triple partnership necessitates an unwavering commitment from the European side to engage proactively. As elucidated by the media from a Chinese standpoint, expecting Chinese support while concurrently resorting to protectionist measures presents a counterproductive stance for Europe.
The business community anticipates an expansion of the China-EU “triple partnership positioning,” aiming for deeper collaboration and a genuine strategic shift that transcends the EU’s previous stance towards China in both action and strategic intent.
Undoubtedly, the significance of the 24th China-EU summit transcended mere trade matters. The discussions encompassed a broad spectrum of bilateral and global subjects, engaging in a “candid, in-depth, and productive” manner, as highlighted by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Friday. This comprehensive dialogue not only facilitated mutual understanding but also deepened strategic communication between the two sides, fostering a robust consensus for collaborative efforts.
The summit outlined pivotal areas for enhanced and mutually beneficial collaboration. Both sides committed to elevating dialogue and cooperation across several key domains, including trade and investment, green development, the digital economy, artificial intelligence, geographical indication, intellectual property rights, and export control.
« Additionally, the summit reaffirmed the mutual commitment to reinstating cross-border travel and fortifying people-to-people exchanges. Both sides reached an agreement to convene another session of the China-EU high-level people-to-people dialogue.
On global challenges, the summit pledged support for and practice of multilateralism, intensifying international coordination, advancing reforms within the WTO and the international financial system, and jointly addressing pressing global issues such as climate change, biodiversity, food security, and public health.
The EU reiterated its deep concerns about the human rights situation in China, notably systemic human rights violations in Xinjiang and Tibet, forced labour, the treatment of human rights defenders and persons belonging to minorities, as well as the continued erosion of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong, where China should honour its prior commitments. The EU welcomed the resumption of the Human Rights Dialogue in February 2023 and underlined its expectation for the next dialogue to take place in 2024 in China.
The EU reaffirmed its consistent One China policy and expressed concerns about increased tensions in the Taiwan Strait. Heightened instability in the East and South China Seas threatens regional and global prosperity and security. We oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. Disputes must be resolved through peaceful means in accordance with international law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Leaders further discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula, in Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Iran.
