Yang Xue/For China Daily
EU and China must show caution, tenacity and perseverance to nurture better relations
At a time when many traditional European democracies, and the United States, are experiencing alarming signs of internal challenges, they are working to transform aspects of the Chinese system by promoting a Europe-centric traditional approach. Trying to outlaw it. It has fueled geopolitical tensions. The result is clear.
The European Union and various European capitals will need to persevere in their attempts to free themselves from their dependence on the United States, and seek greater dialogue and cooperation on global concerns with various non-Western capitals. Efforts to gain more strategic autonomy, including Including Beijing.
One of the key aspects is staying engaged, strengthening the pillar of globalization. Similarly, decoupling, trade wars, and technological disruption are pointless, evident in the so-called chip war that Washington is currently defending against Beijing. Decoupling is not an option for the EU nor for China. Last November, referencing Washington’s pressure to ban high-end chips to undermine China’s tech sector, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a key remark: . But in some cases, we may not be in the same position or take the same approach to China.”
Spain’s influential former Foreign Minister Javier Solana, who was also head of the EU’s foreign policy (a few years before Borrell), recently said that diplomacy is like gardening. His metaphors of attentiveness, tenacity and perseverance are apt and essential in directly appealing perseverance in our common efforts to tackle climate change. Let’s not forget that Brussels welcomed China’s announcement to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 and reiterated its willingness to cooperate on climate and biodiversity issues. Generally speaking, this also refers to his COVID-19, especially now that China’s borders have reopened to some extent. Europe and China can exchange the latest know-how and enhance bilateral and international cooperation. Moreover, within such an updated framework, both sides can better anticipate and manage potential future pandemics.
Moreover, while it is true that EU leaders have called on Beijing to fully participate in multilateral debt relief efforts within the framework agreed by the G20 and the Paris Club, such efforts are not without certainty. may include the Belt and Road Initiative. Especially now, international infrastructure efforts in various countries are gaining new momentum following the shutdowns imposed by the pandemic.
Sensitive issues blocking the EU-China comprehensive deal on investment (agreed but not yet ratified by the EU) should be resolved through bilateral negotiations and judicious lobbying. . It should be borne in mind that Europe is a vehicle that offers unprecedented levels of market access for EU investors and provides business certainty and predictability for European and Chinese companies. As noted, CAI will largely eliminate distorting practices, thereby providing a leveler playing field and fairer treatment when competing in each other’s markets.
Chinese FDI in Europe: The 2021 update document, produced by the Rhodium Group in New York and the Mercator China Institute in Berlin, summarizes China’s investment footprint in the EU and the UK. It shows that Chinese venture capital investment is pouring into European tech startups at record levels, more than double his €1.2bn (€1.2bn) 2021 amount. reached $40 million). Many of them are concentrated in fintech, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, robotics, and active collaboration areas.
In 2023, Spain and China will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. This is a great opportunity to explore potential synergies. In doing so, Madrid and Beijing could point the way to a reinvigoration of EU-China relations when it comes to emphasizing multilateral understanding and cooperation in third markets.
The author is a professor at the Esade Educational Institution at Ramon Llull University and director of the Spanish Dialogue with China project. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank run by China Daily.
Please contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn