Ursula von der Leyen recalls that relations between the EU and China are closely linked to Beijing’s position in Ukraine
Before a trip to China next week with President Emmanuel Macron, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warns Beijing: “We have to be open: The way in which China will continue to react to Putin’s war will be a decisive factor in the future of EU-China relations,” she said. “Unperturbed by the cruel and illegal invasion of Ukraine, President Xi maintains his ‘unreserved’ friendship with Putin’s Russia,” stressed Ursula von der Leyen during a speech at reflection centers in Brussels. “China has a duty to play a constructive role in promoting a just peace. But this peace can only be just if it is based on respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” she continued. “Any peace plan that would anchor Russian annexations is simply not viable,” she stressed.
Referring more generally to the future of EU-China relations, Ursula von der Leyen reiterated that it was “neither feasible nor in Europe’s interest” to “distance” from Beijing. “Our relationships are neither black nor white, and neither can our response. That’s why we need to focus on risk reduction, not distancing,” she stressed.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is currently in Beijing. After Chancellor Olaf Scholz in November, he is the second head of government of an EU country to visit China since the start of the Covid 19 pandemic more than three years ago.
Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a major visit to Moscow last week. China, which has never denounced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, proposed a “peace plan” in February to end the war that has been going on for more than a year, but the United States and Europe remain skeptical about Beijing’s ability to to play a mediating role. Washington has also warned Beijing against the temptation to ship arms to Moscow.