Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Apr 24, 2025

EU’s von der Leyen calls for tougher policy on China ahead of Beijing visit

EU’s von der Leyen calls for tougher policy on China ahead of Beijing visit

EU will ‘reassess’ 2020 trade deal with China, and introduce a new strategy on economic security, Commission chief says.

Europe needs to be "bolder" on China, which has become “more repressive at home and more assertive abroad,” according to the president of the European Commission.

In a scathing speech ahead of her visit to China next week, Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday warned Beijing not to side with Moscow in bringing compromised peace to Ukraine, saying: “How China continues to interact with Putin’s war will be a determining factor for EU-China relations going forward.”

She implied, for the first time, that the EU could terminate pursuing a landmark trade deal with China, which was clinched in 2020 but subsequently stalled by the European Parliament after some of its members were sanctioned by Beijing.

“We have to recognize that the world and China have changed in the last three years — and we need to reassess CAI in light of our wider China strategy,” she said at an event co-hosted by the European Policy Center and Merics, referring to the China trade deal, known as Comprehensive Agreement on Investment.

While von der Leyen has commented critically on China in the past, this is the first time the EU chief has given a full speech on the bloc's relations with Beijing. Pointing to the situation in Taiwan, human rights violations in Xinjiang, and economic retaliations against Lithuania, she said: "These escalatory actions point to a China that is becoming more repressive at home and more assertive abroad."

“We are concerned by what is behind this return to the global stage,” said von der Leyen, who will be traveling to China next week with French President Emmanuel Macron. “We have seen a very deliberate hardening of China's overall strategic posture for some time. And it has now been matched by a ratcheting up of increasingly assertive actions.”

She was especially critical of the ties between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, the Chinese and Russian leaders, who met last week in Moscow.

"Most telling," von der Leyen said, "were President Xi’s parting words to Putin on the steps outside the Kremlin when he said: 'Right now there are changes, the likes of which we haven’t seen for 100 years. And we are the ones driving these changes together.'"

The Chinese Communist Party’s "clear goal is a systemic change of the international order with China at its center ... We have seen the show of friendship in Moscow which says a thousand words about this new vision for the international order," she said.

She also called on EU countries to make "bolder and faster use" of new economic tools against China, including screening of foreign subsidies and a new policy against economic coercion. The Council of the EU, representing the EU member states, has been wary of over-empowering the Commission to take decisions on punishing coercive countries.

Amid what she described as an "unbalanced" economic relationship, von der Leyen said the EU will introduce a new Economic Security Strategy later this year.

"Europe should develop a targeted instrument on outbound investment. This would relate to a small number of sensitive technologies where investment can lead to the development of military capabilities that pose risks to national security," she said. "We need to ensure that our companies' capital, expertise, and knowledge are not used to enhance the military and intelligence capabilities of those who are also systemic rivals."

Von der Leyen was especially critical of the ties between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin who met last week in Moscow


The EU, she added, needs to "define its future relationship with China" in sensitive high-tech areas such as microelectronics, quantum computing, robotics, artificial intelligence and biotech.

Despite all the rallying calls for defensive action, von der Leyen ended the speech with a note of cautious optimism. "China is a fascinating and complex mix of history, progress and challenges. And it will define this century," she said.

"But our story about how we relate to China is not yet fully written — and it need not be a defensive one."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump administration moves to BAN essentially ALL artificial food dyes in the USA food supply at RFK Jr.'s direction
Woman slaps man at sports game and gets herself and husband beat up
Pope Francis: head of the Catholic church who pushed for social and economic justice
China do not pay these tariffs - you pay it. This is new 145% tax you pay to the US government.
Nightlife in the streets of Manchester
In God We Profit
Cultural Battles in the Vatican: The Candidates in the Battle for the Holy See and Pope Francis's Testament
Global Leaders Pay Tribute to Pope Francis Following His Death
Wild Chimpanzees Observed Bonding Over Alcoholic Fruit
US Federal Reserve Chair Issues Warning on Tariff Impact
UK Prison Officers Demand Electric Stun Guns Amid Safety Concerns
China, China, China!
Australian National Charged as Mercenary for Fighting in Ukraine
Israel Considers Limited Strikes on Iran's Nuclear Facilities Amid Diplomatic Efforts
Prince Andrew Joins Royal Family Attends Easter Sunday Service at Windsor Castle
Saudi Arabia Offers Max Verstappen Unprecedented Deal to Join Aston Martin
Global Pistachio Shortage Amid Rising Demand for 'Dubai Chocolate'
Trump is assembling a coalition of Western leaders aligned with the MAGA vision, strengthening a unified front for global change
IMF Predicts No Global Recession Amid Trade Tensions
Here’s a police officer with a brilliant gift for swift education
"Some complain that we put thousands in prison. In reality, we set millions free."
This is Vienna, Austria in 2025.
Boeing Jet Returns to US from China Amid Tariff War
Canadian Federal Election: Candidates' Positions on US-Canada Relations and Donald Trump
Resentencing Hearing for Menendez Brothers Who Killed Their Parents Delayed Amid Legal Disputes
Australian Woman Gives Birth To Stranger's Baby In IVF Mix-up
US Sets Deadline for Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal Brokerage
Italy Introduces 'Sex Rooms' in Prisons for Inmates
California Launches Legal Challenge Against Trump Administration's Tariffs
"Groundless": China Dismisses Zelensky's Claims It's Supplying Arms To Russia
UK Psytrance Festival Cancelled Amid Local Protests Over Noise Concerns
French Far-Right Writer Renaud Camus Denied Entry to UK
UK Police Force Updates Search Policy for Trans Individuals in Custody
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Meets with Donald Trump to Discuss EU-US Trade Tensions
Canada's Federal Party Leaders Engage in Final Debate Ahead of General Election
Ukraine and US Sign Outline of Minerals Deal
Fast Food Chain Refuses to Apologize for Online Comment About Katy Perry's Space Voyage
New York Attorney General Letitia James Faces Criminal Referral for Alleged Mortgage Fraud
Mark Cuban admits support for Trump executive order: ‘Gotta be honest’
US Senator Meets with Deported Immigrant in El Salvador Amid Custody Dispute
U.S. State Department Raises El Salvador’s Safety Ranking, Making It Safer Than France and Other European Nations
UK Government Assumes Control of British Steel's Scunthorpe Plant Amid Shutdown Threat
UK MP Wera Hobhouse Denied Entry to Hong Kong During Family Visit
Bangladesh Issues Arrest Warrant for UK MP Tulip Siddiq
China Urges United States to Cancel Tariffs Amid Escalating Trade Tensions
The Empire’s USD Pyramid Scheme Is Working Brilliantly—So Why ‘Fix’ It?
China Raises Tariffs on U.S. Goods to 125% Amid Escalating Trade Dispute
Elon Musk Reports $150 Billion in Projected Government Savings Amid Fraud Investigations
U.S. and Panama Finalize Defense Agreements Amid Canal Access and Chinese Influence Concerns
China Stands Firm Amidst Trade Disputes with the US: A Factual Analysis
×