Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, warns about trade imbalance with China and seeks balance. The EU seeks negotiated solutions, emphasizing the importance of fair and sustainable trade between both partners.
Ursula von der Leyen addresses the trade imbalance with China and emphasizes the need for fair and balanced trade.
BRUSSELS, 5 Dec. - Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, expressed concern on Monday about the continuing trade imbalance between the European Union (EU) and China. In an emphatic statement, von der Leyen highlights the need for sustainable and equitable trade between the two trading partners.
The president highlights the EU's willingness to use tools to protect its market, although she prefers negotiated solutions. This approach aligns with the EU and China's interest in maintaining a robust and sustainable trade. The German leader stresses the importance of China carefully studying the options presented to address this situation.
The EU-China summit in Beijing, scheduled for this Thursday and Friday, will be a key event in these discussions. It will be the first face-to-face summit since 2019, and is expected to address the complex relationship between the two, including trade imbalances and the global position on the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East.
Von der Leyen has identified a growing trade imbalance, which has doubled in the last two years, reaching almost 400,000 million euros. The president emphasizes the need to see China not only as a trading partner, but also as a technological competitor and a global military power with different perspectives on the world order.
The EU is analyzing the lack of access to the Chinese market for European companies and the preferential treatment for Chinese companies. Von der Leyen emphasizes that the EU will protect fair competition and seek to rebalance the trade relationship.
The president also advocates a strategy of "detaching but not disassociating" from China, seeking to reduce dependencies without cutting trade ties. This position reflects the lesson learned by Europe from excessive dependence, seeking a fruitful and fair trade relationship.
As for China-Russia relations, von der Leyen urges China to use its influence over Russia in the Ukraine war and tackle sanctions evasion. The EU wants China to distance itself from Russia and stop providing arms to the aggressor, which could impact future bilateral relations.