The European Union needs to work with allies to reduce the risks from China’s rise as a global power, but shouldn’t be drawn into a zero-sum contest between Washington and Beijing, according to a new draft paper by the bloc’s foreign policy chief.
(Bloomberg) — The European Union needs to work with allies to reduce the risks from China’s rise as a global power, but shouldn’t be drawn into a zero-sum contest between Washington and Beijing, according to a new draft paper by the bloc’s foreign policy chief.
The document, prepared by Josep Borrell and the EU’s external affairs service for a meeting of foreign ministers on Friday, reaffirms the EU’s strategy of approaching China “simultaneously as a partner, a competitor and a systemic rival,” but said the balance of those approaches will be conditional on how China responds to Europe’s engagement.
“The EU has to take into account the reality of these competing visions of the world, deeply intertwined economies, and the consequences of a China more control-prone at home and more assertive abroad,” according to a draft obtained by Bloomberg.
Group of Seven nations are aiming to send a signal to China this month by announcing a joint effort to counter “economic coercion” but are struggling to agree on tangible measures. China will also be a key topic when EU leaders hold a summit in Brussels at the end of June.
Europe has been trying to get on the same page on a China strategy, as some countries have begun to push for more strategic distance, including new limits on exports of technology to Beijing. French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent suggestion that Xi Jinping could play a major role in ending the war in Ukraine prompted complaints from some member states.
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Borrell’s paper argues that the EU needs to step up its efforts to engage with other countries with more attractive proposals to compete with China’s growing influence, including through free-trade agreements and energy partnerships.
“However, the EU should not subscribe to an idea of a zero-sum game whereby there can only be one winner, in a binary contest between the US and China,” it says. “China’s rise should take place within the rules-based international order.”
It also calls for Europe to continue engaging with China as it works to level the economic playing field and reduce its dependencies in areas like critical minerals. It warns that the EU must be ready to counter any effects of China’s actions in its societies.
“Our openness cannot be allowed to become a vulnerability, but nor should it be dismantled,” the paper warns.
EU Needs to Watch How China Manages Its Influence, Borrell Says
In remarks on Thursday, Borrell said the EU shouldn’t waste time trying to prevent China from becoming a world power.
“If it uses this power in accordance with international law, if it doesn’t put in danger our interests and values, we have to live with China on the world stage,” he said at the European Defence and Security Summit in Brussels.
–With assistance from Maria Tadeo.
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