China Europe summit on Thursday Why harsh tones are

China Europe summit on Thursday: Why harsh tones are expected (and what the “points of conflict” are)

by Guido Santevecchi

The summit between the European Union and China will open on Thursday, December 7th in Beijing: the first with a presence since 2019. Political scientists are predicting harsh tones given the weakness with which Beijing presents itself at the table: Here are the critical points

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT IN BEIJING
Outside the circle of experts there is no great excitement about the summit between the European Union and China, which begins on Thursday December 7th in Beijing. No comparison to the great anticipation that the meeting between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in San Francisco aroused. The Chinese mission of Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel and Josep Borrell seems less crucial to world order (or rather disorder).

The reason is the usual: the superpowers America and China discuss both global strategy and trade, the Europeans always disagree very much and act in the economy according to individual national interests. This is particularly reminded today of Italy’s exit from Xi’s beloved Belt and Road Initiative, which in 2019 was the only power at the European level (and also in the G7) to sign a memorandum on participation, while it remains with the Silk Road at around ten Eastern European countries as well as Greece and Portugal.

However, the dossiers at this first EU-China summit since 2019 are just as extensive as those that came to the table in San Francisco last November.

On the geopolitical front, there is always the war in Ukraine and perhaps the status quo in Taiwan; At the economic level, a trade volume of 856 billion euros is recorded, with a Chinese surplus of almost 400 billion euros.

The harsh and clear tones towards Putin

Political scientists assume that the tone behind the closed doors of the talks will be harsh

.

Good timing for Europe as Xi grapples with a Chinese economy weakened by the real estate crisis, youth unemployment, deflation and hidden local government debt (yesterday Moody’s cut its bond outlook to negative for China) . Under these conditions, China cannot afford to open a second front after the one with the USA. Therefore, Commission President von der Leyen, EU Council President Michel and High Representative for Foreign Policy Borrell are expected to speak out clearly and demand from Xi that China stop helping Russia evade technology sanctions and settle for gas and Obtaining oil at very reasonable prices from Putin.

Commercial risk reduction and open fronts

In the area of ​​trade relations, the key word in Brussels, as in Washington, is risk reduction: reducing the risk of over-dependence on supply chains originating from China. And then the Chinese are always expected to level the playing field in economic exchanges, from investments to rules governing the presence of foreign industries. The EU has opened an investigation into electric cars made in China due to suspicions of state aid allowing Chinese manufacturers to compete in the European market (the truth lies in the middle, because Beijing’s support is obvious, but European manufacturers have rushed to China). for years, led by the big German brands, and they weren’t too worried about innovation in the battery space, so the Chinese had a significant advantage.

The tones are already on. Beijing today warned the European Union against controls on the export of high-tech products: “It makes no sense for Brussels to want to increase its market share in China on the one hand and impose restrictions on high-tech on the other, foreign spokesman Wang Wenbin said this morning.

No joint statement or press conference with Prime Minister Li Qiang is expected at the end of the summit, Friday December 8th (it is pointless to hope to include Xi Jinping, who only speaks in speeches and never addresses foreign or Chinese journalists) . ).

Corriere della Sera also on WhatsApp. Just click here to subscribe to the channel and stay up to date.

December 6, 2023 (modified December 6, 2023 | 12:57)