Not long ago, Josep Borrell was one of the favorites in Beijing’s propaganda target. The head of foreign policy of the European Union did not spare his criticism when he addressed China’s position after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the dangerous movements of the Chinese army around Taiwan or the hijacking of freedoms in Hong Kong. This did not sit well in the Asian giant and Borrell’s name frequently appeared in editorials in state media, which accused him of being at the service of Washington.
The criticism from China was toned down, with a much softer tone, as different representatives from Brussels have paraded through the second world power. There are several open fronts, but at least now the conversations are much more regular. The last one to add to the package of visits to China has been Borrell himself.
After landing in Shanghai and meeting with representatives of several European companies based in the financial center, Borrell was in Beijing on Friday. Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister, was waiting for him in the capital. In a joint press conference held after the meeting, the Spaniard responded to questions about the war between Israel and Hamas, saying that the 24-hour ultimatum that the Israeli army had given to evacuate a million people who are in northern Gaza. “EU Foreign Ministers agreed that Israel has the right to defend itself from aggression, but this must be done in accordance with international law,” Borrell recalled.
The Chinese minister, for his part, stressed that China condemns “all acts that harm civilians” and calls on “relevant countries to remain calm and increase restraint.” Wang noted that “the question of Palestine is a wound that continues to open” and wondered who will look after the interests of Palestinians while Israel has broad international support.
“When can Palestine return to its rightful home?” said the Chinese, advocating the need for an “international peace conference” to be held urgently at the UN. Wang also revealed that his country’s special envoy to the Middle East, Zhai Jun, who has already held talks with senior Israeli officials and also the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), “will soon visit relevant countries” to call for a halt to the fire and the return to peace talks.
Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, Borrell highlighted that he had asked China to use its influence over Russia to stop the attack on Kiev and accept a reactivation of the Black Sea grain export agreement. Before the meeting with the Chinese minister, Borrell participated in a talk with students at Peking University where he brought up Beijing’s role in Ukraine.
“We are not asking China to adopt the same point of view as the European Union, but we consider it essential that China make a great effort to convince the people of Ukraine that China is not Russia’s ally in this war,” said the Spaniard. . He also indicated that in Europe they are not convinced by China’s argument that it is “neutral in the conflict.”
Borrell went on to warn that common trust between the bloc and China had been “eroded.” “We have to work to rebuild this trust, it won’t miraculously appear again,” he said. Brussels has described Beijing as an “economic competitor and systemic rival.”
The High Representative addressed trade imbalances, starting with the large deficit that the EU is dragging: almost 400 billion euros out of a total trade of 865 billion. “The trade imbalance between the bloc and China is not only quantitative, but also qualitative,” said Borrell, also pointing out that Europe could become more protectionist if this trade deficit is not reduced.
“In my opinion, the cause is the result of the persistent difficulties that European companies experience when they want to access the Chinese market,” continued the European representative.
Borrell also wrote about this on Friday in an article he signed in the Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post. He warned China that if it did not address the huge imbalance, it would face more protectionist policies in Europe. “On the economic front, our relations are far from satisfactory. We are an important export market for China, but this relationship has been unbalanced for many years and that imbalance continues to worsen.”
It was the first time that the Spaniard set foot in the Asian superpower as head of European diplomacy. In addition to discussing bilateral trade relations and global challenges in the midst of the war in Ukraine and the Middle East, Borrell sought to bring positions closer together in view of the leaders’ summit to be held at the end of this year, which will be attended by the Chinese president. , Xi Jinping, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
