French President Emmanuel Macron, Chinese President Xi Jinping and European Commission President Ursula Von de Leyen meet in Beijing, April 6, 2023.POOL/Reuters
Before the war in Ukraine, China was making a great deal of headway in improving its relationship with the European Union, capitalizing on the EU’s weakening of ties with the United States during the presidency of Donald Trump.
But Beijing’s refusal to criticize Russia’s invasion and its tacit support for the Kremlin have driven a major wedge into its relationship with the EU. This week, two of the bloc’s top leaders travelled to China to deliver a simple message: There is hope for progress – if Beijing breaks with Moscow and truly pushes for peace in Ukraine.
“Russian aggression in Ukraine has dealt a blow to international stability,” French President Emmanuel Macron told Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday. “I know I can count on you to bring Russia back to reason and everyone back to the negotiating table.”
Mr. Xi said China was keen to “promote peace talks and a political settlement” on Ukraine and was willing to work with France and the international community to stop the conflict from further spiralling out of control. But he did not mention Russia.
A Chinese proposal to end the conflict has been criticized for not calling on Russia to withdraw from Ukrainian territory and was undermined by Mr. Xi’s subsequent visit to Moscow, just days after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arrest.
Some Western leaders are concerned China may be edging toward providing military support for Russia, a claim hotly denied by Beijing. On Wednesday, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said such a move would be a “historic mistake with profound implications” and would bring with it “severe consequences.”
Mr. Macron was conciliatory toward Mr. Xi in their joint appearance, echoing China’s stand that European countries should not “lecture” other nations on issues such as human rights. Mr. Macron also offered a glimpse of the economic benefits of establishing closer ties with Europe. He was joined by a large business delegation, with the two sides signing a raft of deals, including agreements on aviation and energy.
A great believer in personal diplomacy, the French leader has been criticized for breaking with other Western countries and holding direct talks with Mr. Putin, so far without any tangible results.
Accompanying Mr. Macron to Beijing was European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Her presence was seen as a show of EU-China unity, while also serving to reassure more skeptical member states – and Washington – that a firm message will be delivered regarding Ukraine. Ahead of this week’s trip, she gave a speech harshly criticizing Beijing’s embrace of Moscow and calling for a “sober assessment of our current relations and of China’s strategic intentions.”
“The Chinese Communist Party’s clear goal is a systemic change of the international order – with China at its centre,” she said, adding that China has become “more repressive at home and more assertive abroad.” While she rejected the idea of “decoupling” from China, she said Europe needed to “derisk” by reducing dependence on or overexposure to the Chinese economy while maintaining cordial diplomatic ties with Beijing.
Speaking Thursday after a meeting with Mr. Xi and a joint summit with him and Mr. Macron, she made similar arguments, saying the EU was “becoming more and more vigilant about protecting our interests and ensuring a more level playing field,” all the while looking for ways to co-operate with China on issues such as climate change.
Using stronger language than Mr. Macron on the war, she said Brussels “expects that China will play its role and promote a just peace, one that respects Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” She added that sending arms to Russia would be against international law “and significantly harm our relationship.”
While Ms. von der Leyen represents the more skeptical side of European attitudes to China, Beijing’s ties to Europe have suffered across the entire continent in recent years. After her speech last week, the Federation of German Industries (BDI), an umbrella group, said that “with its stance in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, China has lost a lot of trust in Germany and Europe.”
“China is challenging the international rules-based order and undermining the logic of free markets and open trade in its pursuit of security and control,” said BDI managing director Tanja Gonner. “It is right and necessary that Europe strengthen its economic and technological resilience and competitiveness while continuing to seek communication and exchanges with China.”
In an editorial, the Chinese state-run Global Times dismissed such rhetoric, saying recent visits by European leaders to Beijing underscore “China’s status as one of the most important trading partners of France, Germany and even the EU as a whole.”
“The EU is currently battling with various economic challenges in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict,” the paper said, adding that “the need for greater China-EU co-operation also stems from the growing awareness in Europe for strategic autonomy” from the U.S.
With reports from Alexandra Li and Reuters.