China and EU Move To Improve Relations, Despite U.K.-U.S. Anti-China Demands

Oct. 16, 2021 (EIRNS)—President Xi Jinping held a phone conversation on Oct. 15 with Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, one of several steps to repair strained relations between Beijing and Brussels. The EU has taken several steps to poison relations under pressure from the anti-China operations in the U.K. and the U.S. In March, they joined in the insane sanctions of Chinese officials for the fake charge (launched by Mike Pompeo) of human rights violations against the Uighurs in Xinjiang, calling it “genocide.” (Anyone who wishes to travel to Xinjiang will see that the Uighur people are prospering, having doubled their population, receiving modern education and jobs in a booming economy.) The EU also froze the China-EU Comprehensive Agreement on Investment.

Now, as the Western economies are in a general breakdown crisis, and after the French were subjected to the cancellation of a large submarine construction contract with Australia when the U.S., U.K. and Australia formed a military pact, the EU is trying to patch things up with China.

The Global Times report on the phone call included:

“The call came two days after Xi’s video meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel had been viewed by some EU politicians and Chinese observers as a positive sign for bilateral relations amid strained ties....

“China and the EU are different in history and culture, social systems and development stage, and it is normal to see some competition, divergences and differences. They should be solved by talks. China has always been sincere in China-EU relations and will firmly safeguard the group’s sovereignty, security and development interests, Xi said, noting that China hopes the EU adheres to strategic independence, tells right from wrong and works with China to promote bilateral ties....

“Michel noted that the EU is willing to improve communications with China based on mutual respect and to manage disputes effectively. The EU insists on the one-China policy and has never changed its policy toward the island of Taiwan. The recent development in the international situation has made the EU and its member states more aware of the importance of shoring up strategic independence. Although the political systems and development patterns are different, they both support multilateralism and need to cooperate to fight the coronavirus, promote economic recovery, deal with climate change and defend regional peace and stability, said Michel.

“The EU will adhere to strategic independence to deal with international affairs and is willing to have close coordination with China on major international issues, he said....

“China-U.S. relations have influence on China-EU relations but they also have differences. The EU did not take China as a competitor and some EU politicians know that confrontation would only lead to a dead end, and shifting the focus from conflicts to cooperation is a smarter move, Cui Hongjian, director of the Department of European Studies at China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times....

“The call came after an array of high-level interactions between China and the EU. For example, on Sept. 28, Wang Yi and Josep Borrell, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, decided to strengthen coordination on the new round of high-level economic ties during the 11th round of high-level strategic dialogue between China and the EU. Xi also met German Chancellor Angela Merkel by video link on Wednesday [Oct. 13], during which Xi spoke highly of her contributions to promoting China-Germany and China-EU relations during her tenure....”