The EU leader offered vaccines to China, pushed Xi to talk to Putin and got a promise to continue human rights discussions. Based on Charles Michel’s visit, the EU is not closing its doors to China.
BEIJING The relationship between the EU and China has been tested for many reasons. Human rights, trade disputes and China’s partnership with Russia have caused friction.
President of the European Council Charles Michel met today in Beijing with the President of China, Xi Jinping. Despite the growing suspicion, Michel’s tone was diplomatic. The message was that you don’t want to disconnect the conversation connection. Vice versa.
– The EU promotes its interests and values, Michel formulated.
Michel said that he spoke with the common voice of the leaders of the member countries about the importance of the relationship with China and the need to manage the relationship for the benefit of Europe and the world.
The parties discussed, among other things, the war in Ukraine and the energy and food crisis.
– I emphasized that China must use its influence on Russia so that it respects the UN Charter. Russia’s attack on a sovereign country is a flagrant violation of international law. President Xi and I agreed that the threat of nuclear weapons will not be tolerated, Michel said at a press conference in Beijing.
Human rights are also on display
Michel said he also spoke with Chinese leaders about last weekend’s widespread protests against the corona restrictions. The police suppressed them violently in some places.
– Freedom of assembly is a fundamental right, he said.
Michel thanked China for its promise to continue the human rights dialogue between the EU and China, which had been on hiatus for more than three years.
– We talked for a long time about Xinjiang. It is not meddling in internal affairs, but a discussion of principles that have been agreed upon in the UN. It is necessary to continue the conversation, Michel formulated.
Michel said that the EU leaders wanted him to speak especially about the economy. More than a fifth of the EU’s imports come from China. Michel wanted fairer and equal trading conditions.
Michel offered Xi to cooperate with European vaccine manufacturers to solve China’s corona crisis. He said that he explained to the Chinese leader that in the EU, vaccines were the main means against the corona crisis.
The Chinese leadership has justified the sharp closure of society, among other things, by the fact that many elderly people have not received the corona vaccination. China has so far approved only Chinese vaccines for use. In studies, their efficacy has been lower than that of Western vaccines. There is no mRNA vaccine in use in China.