But he added that “we know that China is practicing pro-Russian neutrality.”
“so this [peace] The initiative is important for us, because we cannot have good relations with China if it clearly supports Russia.”
Borrell spoke to the post on the eve of a China-centric debate involving the bloc’s 27 foreign ministers.
After discussing Ukraine in the morning, wary of leaks and security breaches, ministers were moved to a 17th-century palace on the outskirts of Stockholm. There he was locked in a room without a phone or other electronic devices for four hours so that relations with China could be reset.
had a conversation guided by a position paper on the China policy written by the bloc’s foreign service, which was sent to member states on Thursday after intense internal haggling over its contents.
The Spaniard claimed members were united behind the nine-page document, which calls for continued engagement with Beijing, even as it warns of a growing threat from a “nationalist and ideological” rival.
“The 27 of us are united behind the music of this text,” said Borrell. “I haven’t seen any substantial disagreement.”
According to the EU document, China has become more nationalistic under President Xi Jinping. Photo: Xinhua
The document outlined grievances with China’s nationalist and ideological shift away from economic openness and highlighted the country’s efforts to “rebuild the world order” in its own image.
He made it clear that the EU views China more as a “systemic rival” rather than a partner, but said capitals should continue to engage with Beijing. Such cooperation “could break the growing self-imposed isolation of the Chinese leadership, but more importantly it should promote the EU’s core interests.”
“If we are to build a new stability in our complex relationship, the EU and its member states must remain firm but not confrontational. We must have a clear vision of the nature of this relationship.”
A senior EU official involved in drafting said the text had been carefully crafted.
“Every word has a meaning and every sentence has been put in the right structure,” Adhikari said.
Behind the scenes, however, some diplomats were already dismissing the claim that all 27 were on the same page.
“Seems to be deaf,” one said, adding that the document had an “apologetic tone” that suggested Brussels was not seriously committed to renewing ties with Beijing.
Another described it as “winding”, but believed that this was the price the EU would pay for trying to accommodate members with such conflicting interests.
“It’s a big tent. It should suit everyone lithuania A Hungarythe official said, referring to the more aggressive and moderate members of the bloc with regard to China.
Arriving at the Stockholm summit on Friday morning, ministers offered a mixed review of the report.
“I emphasize that, unfortunately, systemic rivalry has grown significantly in recent years. We must clarify here together, we as Europeans can only speak with one voice, which can then be called foreign policy. is heard in,” said German Foreign Minister Annalena Bierbock, apparently approving of the text.
“We, as Europeans, do not want decoupling, We don’t want to distract. But we want to reduce our own risks that threaten our security,” he said, highlighting one of the main themes of the document.
On the other hand, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said it needed to be “stronger” and that Europe should be ready to de-risk.
Landsbergis said, “I don’t listen to any secession advocates.” “Before February 24, we haven’t heard [anyone] Not talking to anyone about Russia leaving, but here we are.
“Someone needs to come up with the possibility, hopefully there are people who will put their brains and time into it.”
