European Council President Charles Michel defended Friday that the European Union (EU) “cannot be naive” towards China, but must avoid confrontation with Beijing.
The EU “shouldn’t be naive, but neither should it systematically confront Beijing”Michel said during the daily conference at the end of the European Council, which on the second day focused on international relations, especially with China.
Michel also said the EU is steadfast in defending democracy and fundamental freedoms.
For its part, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, added that: the EU “wants to strengthen technological capacity and diversify raw material suppliers, to reduce dependence on China”.
The community administration leader also said President Xi Jinping “continues to strengthen China’s highly assertive and self-sufficient course”, while underlining Beijing’s determination to “have the dominance of Western Asia and, globally, its influence”.
For his part, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that he will make an official visit to China in November, the first by an EU leader after 2019.
EU leaders met in Brussels on Thursday and today at a summit dominated – on the first day – by the energy crisis and today by issues of international relations.
Source: DN
