China summit NOT "business as usual" - EU

BRUSSELS, March 31 (KUNA) -- The 23rd bilateral Summit between the European Union and China, to be held via videoconference on Friday, will not be "business as usual," EU officials said Thursday.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels today on condition of anonymity, the EU sources said no joint statement or conclusions will be released after the summit the main focus of which will be on the war in Ukraine.
"We would not like to see China supporting Russia with military goods. China has been playing a balancing act, of keeping a position that suits its own interest," said the sources, adding that this position is unlikely to change.
"It is in our interest to make sure that balancing position does not become one of overt support (to Russia) beyond the declarations we have already seen," the sources said.
"We want to cooperate with China to end the war. China has influence over Russia. China can choose to be a close ally of Russia but it has not fully decided on this as yet," said the sources, underlining that China needs to look at its long time global interests and defend the rules-based international order.
China's trade volume in 2021 with the EU makes 13.7 percent of total Chinese trade. The total trade with Russia makes only 2.4 percent, noted one EU official.
"Do you want to endanger this strong economic position that China has in relations to its key markets?. Do you want to endanger the stability and the growth prospects of the global economy and of your own country?" EU-China have "been increasingly difficult. Over the last year we had several issues like concerns over human rights, sanctions on Members of the European Parliament and on our diplomatic institutions, persistent trade barriers which have all affected the way that China is seen in Europe," said the sources.
According to an EU statement, President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, accompanied by High Representative Josep Borrell, will meet Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang in the morning and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, a European Parliament statement today said "China's ambiguous stance on the war in Ukraine is worrisome and the EU needs to assess it carefully and adopt a strategic response to China's projection of power and influence.
"We recognise the strategic importance of the EU-China relationship. However, any Chinese support to Russia must have consequences for EU-China relations. The EU should therefore call on China to use its influence constructively and responsibly," it pointed out. (end) nk.hb