{"id":212706,"date":"2019-04-05T12:18:36","date_gmt":"2019-04-05T19:18:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/?p=212706"},"modified":"2021-02-22T13:30:14","modified_gmt":"2021-02-22T21:30:14","slug":"e-u-struggles-to-define-china-strategy-ahead-of-summit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/2019\/04\/e-u-struggles-to-define-china-strategy-ahead-of-summit\/","title":{"rendered":"E.U. Struggles to Define China Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"
Amid a NATO meeting in Washington<\/a>, ongoing Brexit negotiations in London<\/a>, and an upcoming E.U.-China summit, European capitals are debating the best way to manage their relationship with China, which the E.U. now defines as a “systemic rival.”<\/a> China and the E.U. have so far failed to agree on a joint declaration at their upcoming summit <\/strong><\/a>due to disagreements over trade, investment, and human rights issues. Robin Emmett and Philip Blenkinsop report for Reuters:<\/p>\n Donald Tusk, the head of the European Council, has recommended rejecting the statement as it stands, according to an EU source. China had not met EU hopes that it would open its markets, nor seriously committed to reforms of global trade rules.<\/p>\n According to an early draft put forward by the European Union and seen by Reuters, Beijing would be bound into completing talks on an investment agreement and committing to remove what the EU says are unfair barriers to trade.<\/p>\n The EU also wants to show the United States that the trade war route is not the only way to coax Beijing to open up.<\/p>\n But Chinese officials have removed or changed many of those references, the EU diplomats said, raising the embarrassing probability of no communique at all after Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk have met. [Source<\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n As China’s economic clout and trade relationships take center stage, five rights groups have urged the E.U. to focus on China’s human rights record <\/a>during the summit, while the European Council on Foreign Relations called on E.U. member states to forcefully speak out<\/a> against the network of internment camps holding Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.<\/p>\n #EUChinaSummit<\/a> next week. <\/p>\n Will EU leaders publicly address China's massive & intensifying crackdown? <\/p>\n Or will they hide submissively behind empty phrases like \u201cquiet diplomacy"? https:\/\/t.co\/hoMIoOzPAG<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/lvQl2gIabK<\/a><\/p>\n — Andrew Stroehlein (@astroehlein) April 5, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n