Von der Leyen to Xi: «We will protect the EU economy if necessary»

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“We discussed economic and trade issues with President Xi; there are imbalances, which give rise to serious concerns, and we are ready to defend our economy if necessary.” Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said this following the trilateral meeting with Emmanuel Macron and Xi Jinping. “Chinese subsidized products, such as electric cars or steel, are flooding the European market, while China is not increasing domestic demand,” she noted. “The EU cannot tolerate practices that lead to its de-industrialisation,” she warned.

«If competition is fair, we will have thriving economies in Europe»

“The economic relations between China and the EU are among the most important in the world and I am convinced that if competition is fair, we will have thriving and long-lasting economies in Europe that will support more good jobs,” said von der Leyen highlighting the fact that there are “many points of agreement” between the EU and China. As for the points of disagreement, “I encouraged the Chinese government to address these structural overcapacities and at the same time we will coordinate closely with the G7 countries and emerging economies, which are also increasingly affected by China’s market distortions ”, he underlined. “I remain confident that further progress can be made, but at the same time we are ready to make full use of our trade defense instruments if necessary, for example a couple of weeks ago we launched our first investigation under the international procurement”. “We must then improve the resilience of our supply chains and, for example, address excessive dependencies by diversifying sources of critical materials. A China that plays fair is good for all of us, but at the same time Europe will not hesitate to make the difficult decisions necessary to protect its economy and its security, and that is why we look forward to celebrating the next year the 50th anniversary of EU-China relations”.

Von der Leyen: China intervenes on Russian nuclear threats

The EU and China “agree” on the joint interest in peace and security and “we count” on the influence that Beijing can have on Russia regarding the war in Ukraine. The President of the European Commission said this following the trilateral meeting with Emmanuel Macron and Xi Jinping. “President Xi has played an important role in reducing Moscow’s irresponsible nuclear threats and I am confident that he will continue to do so, also in light of the latest developments,” she added.

«China can play an important role in limiting the irresponsible proliferation of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones»

“We also discussed China’s commitment not to supply any lethal equipment to Russia. More effort is needed to limit the delivery of dual-use goods to Russia, which can arrive on the battlefield, and given the existential nature of the threat from this war to both Ukraine and Europe, this affects EU-China relations,” noted von der Leyen. “We also express clear concern regarding Iran’s direct threat to regional stability in the Middle East and believe that China can play an important role in limiting the irresponsible proliferation of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones.”

«Ensure fair competition»

“We must act to ensure that competition is fair and not distorted. Because fair competition is good for Europe, as it stimulates innovation and growth, as well as creating good jobs in Europe. I will encourage the Chinese government to address “production” overcapacities in the near term. At the same time, we will coordinate closely with the G7 countries and with the emerging economies which are increasingly affected by the distortions of the Chinese market” the president of the EU Commission also explained, Ursula von der Leyenbefore the trilateral with Emmanuel Macron and Xi Jinping.