Chinese President Xi Jinping held a virtual meeting with European Council (EUCO) President Charles Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday. The talks were a follow-up to the 22 June EU-China Summit, and, according to Michel, addressed “four key topics”: climate change, economic and trade issues, “international affairs and human rights,” and “COVID-19 and economic recovery”.
The conference was a significantly modest version of the striking ceremony the parties had originally planned for in Leipzig, Germany, which would have been a massive in-person summit involving leaders of all 27 EU member nations as participants. Germany, who currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency, was also aiming for a big win during its tenure by signing a potential bilateral investment treaty between the bloc and Beijing, known as the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI). However, the persistence of a global pandemic and little progress in negotiations on the investment front meant that the grand meeting had to be scaled down to a simple video call.
Recent months have also seen a significant straining of relations between the EU and China, not only because of the coronavirus crisis but also on issues relating to human rights, trade, and economic policy. The bloc has vehemently decried Chinese actions and attitudes towards Hong Kong and Taiwan, and Beijing has shown little interest in budging on the ever-increasing market access European politicians have been demanding for years. Following a phone call with Xi Jinping in June, Michel said that it was important to recognize that the two sides did not “share the same values, political systems, or approach to multilateralism”.
Following Monday’s meeting, Von der Leyen described the talks as “frank and open… constructive and intense”, acknowledging the growing friction between the two sides. As expected, there was no major progress on the CAI, other than the parties agreeing to “speed up” negotiations in order to complete them by the end of the year. The participants also committed to setting up “high-level dialogues” on issues relating to the environment, climate, and digital issues as well. In a post-meeting press conference, Michel said that the talks represented “another step forward in forging a more balanced relationship with China”.
EU, China Leaders Hold Virtual Summit
The talks were a follow-up to the June 22 EU-China meeting & addressed issues relating to climate change, economy and trade, human rights, and the coronavirus crisis.
September 15, 2020
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council (EUCO) President Charles Michel. SOURCE: CGTN