Borelli: The direction of EU-China relations depends on Beijing's actions including Taiwan

Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security and Vice-President of the European Commission

 

Josep Borrell, the European Union's high representative for foreign affairs and security and vice-president of the European Commission, said on Sunday that the direction of EU-China relations depends on Beijing's actions, including developments in Taiwan.

According to a Reuters report on April 16, Borelli said at the G7 foreign ministers meeting that day that the summit will focus on two major focuses, the method of taking consistent measures against China and the situation in the Taiwan Strait. He emphasized that anything that happens in the Taiwan Strait will have a major impact on the G7, so it is necessary to engage and maintain communication with China.

Borelli described China as a "cooperative partner, competitor and institutional opponent", emphasizing that the focus of the EU's China policy will "depend on China's behavior". It is reported that French President Emmanuel Macron's recent remarks that Europe should not be driven by "the rhythm of the United States and China's overreaction" to intervene in the Taiwan crisis have sparked controversy. European foreign policy officials reiterated Friday's response, urging Beijing not to use force to resolve the Taiwan issue.

The report quoted an unnamed senior official from the US State Department as saying that the G7 ministers may discuss a "common and coordinated" response to China this time.

German Foreign Minister Annalina Bayerbock's mention of the Uyghur issue during her visit to China was popular

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock began her 3-day official visit to China on April 12. His visit attracted a lot of attention because it happened shortly after French President Macron made a speech to reporters during his visit to China that "Europe should reduce its dependence on the United States and avoid getting into a conflict between the United States and China over the Taiwan issue."

However, during her visit to China, German Foreign Minister Annalina Baerbock not only strongly warned China about the Taiwan issue, but also focused on human rights issues, contrary to Macron. He even directly mentioned the human rights situation of Uyghurs.

According to the German News Network, Ms. Annalina spoke about China's human rights record at a press conference held with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on April 14, the second day of her visit to China. is weakening. What this means for Uyghurs is clearly written in black and white in the report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Annalina's words were denied by China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang. He said that the Uyghur people's problem is "not a human rights problem, but a problem of fighting against violence, terrorism and separatism."

Chen Gang also said that in regard to the decline of human rights in China, "Given that each country has its own situation, culture and historical background, there is no uniform standard for human rights in the world."

However, German Foreign Minister Baerbock denied this, saying that there are "common standards" of human rights in the world, and reminded him of the UN Charter and the UN Human Rights Convention, emphasizing that the UN member states have signed these conventions.

German Foreign Minister Annalina Baerbock's strong stance on human rights during her visit to China has been praised by Uyghurs abroad. The World Uyghur Congress issued a special statement on this matter. The president of the World Uyghur Congress, Seng Isa, said in his speech to our radio station, "The fact that the German foreign minister directly mentioned the Uyghur issue gives us hope." 

He said in his speech: "Baerbock's mention of the Uyghur issue is encouraging to us. Because just last week, French President Macron went to China, completely ignoring the humanitarian issue and begging China. This is very disappointing for us. However, it is very important for Germany, an important EU member state, to be open to China. This means that the Chinese government cannot ignore the Uyghur issue, and countries that insist on the value of human rights will still put pressure on China.

It appears from the news that German Foreign Minister Annalina spoke harshly about China's stance on Taiwan and Ukraine in her remarks before going to Beijing. But despite this, he was warmly welcomed by China. After meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on April 14, he also met with his superior, Vice Premier Han Jing, in the afternoon local time. On Saturday, April 15, he will also meet with China's top foreign affairs official, Wang Yi, director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

 In its report on the matter, the German News Network specifically mentioned that Ms. Annalina did not give up her critical attitude towards China.

The president of the World Uyghur Congress, Sang Isa, evaluated this as an indication that the current German government is committed to the protocol prepared before taking office. He said:

"At a time when the Chinese government is trying in various ways to tear apart Western democracy and the European Union, it is very important for Germany to take this stance. In the new government's protocol, the issue of Uyghur human rights has also been set as one of the important agenda items. This shows that the government is committed to this protocol. We ask the German government to be more active in the Uyghur issue from now on, to enact laws related to Uyghurs, and to recognize this oppression as a genocide like the United States."

German Foreign Minister Annalina also spoke strongly against Macron on the issue of Taiwan, calling on China to stop its military activities on the island of Taiwan. In his speech, he emphasized the unity of Germany and the European Union's position on this issue: "We Europeans cannot accept the unilateral change of Taiwan's status quo, especially through violent means," and warned that any war in the region would have "catastrophic consequences" for the world.

Annalina urged China to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine and to play a role in ending the war.

Ms. Annalina's tough attitude in this visit has also been praised by the international media, and they say that it contrasts with French President Macron. 

Barbara Pongratz, a researcher at the Mercarts Institute of Chinese Studies in Germany, told us that Germany is not trying to create a China policy that is suitable for China in the new era. "The German government is now preparing its first strategy for China," he said in an email. It explores, albeit somewhat belatedly, a comprehensive assessment of China's new role in the world and its implications for Germany and Europe. Spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Germany began to review China's policies, whether economic, technological or research cooperation. Since the European Commission announced its strategic plan in 2019, the EU's policy towards China has also changed. They called China a systematic competitor for the first time.

In her speech, Ms. Barbara also said that although it cannot be considered that there will be a fundamental change in Germany's policy towards China, it has become more critical than before.