European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (C) arrives at the Great Hall of the People’s Republic of China for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron in Beijing April 6, 2023. (NG HAN GUAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
[The Epoch Times, April 7, 2023](Epoch Times reporters Ning Haizhong and Luo Ya reported) European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron met with the Chinese President on the 6th Xi Jinping holds trilateral talks in Beijing, as well as one-on-one bilateral talks. Von der Leyen revealed after the meeting that she raised the Taiwan issue with Xi Jinping and told that it was “unacceptable” to use or threaten to use force to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China said that Xi said that he should not expect the CCP to “compromise and give in” on the Taiwan issue.
Experts believe that ensuring Taiwan’s peace and stability is a major global trend; Von der Leyen’s straightforward statement is in line with diplomatic practice, while the CCP’s official media only reported Xi Jinping’s response because of internal needs. In addition, regarding Xi Jinping’s willingness to fully cooperate with Europe, experts believe that whatever the CCP says now may not be fulfilled.
Ursula von der Leyen said to the face that Taiwan’s official media only reported Xi
Von der Leyen held a separate press conference on the evening of the 6th to explain the content of the talks with Xi Jinping after finishing the main itinerary of his visit to China. According to EuronewsreportRegarding the Taiwan issue, von der Leyen emphasized that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are of “paramount importance” and any unilateral threat to change the status quo by force is “unacceptable.” Any tensions that may arise should be resolved through dialogue.
A report on the website of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Xi Jinping warned the European side that the Taiwan issue is the core of the CCP’s core interests.
The CCP’s report also stated that von der Leyen “reiterated that the EU has no intention of changing the long-standing one-China policy” and hopes that the Taiwan Strait region will maintain peace and stability. But there is no mention of von der Leyen’s “unacceptable” statement on the Taiwan issue.
As for Von der Leyen’s confrontation with Xi Jinping, Lu Qinglong, a senior diplomat and former representative of Taiwan in France, told The Epoch Times on April 7 that there are several aspects of diplomatic practice, some of which are just talking about each other. There are also some aspects that I express my position, or I know your position, but I still have to do it and say it this way. “President Macron and von der Leyen have made their positions clear, and the reply from mainland China should not be too surprising.”
As for the reporting method of the CCP’s official media, Lu Qinglong said that what Xi Jinping said is not new, but the CCP has the need for him to speak internally. When dealing with such issues, the official media often interprets and develops them from a perspective that meets domestic needs.
“We are in a free society. You can get access to information from both sides and know how to judge which ones (the CCP) tell internal needs and which ones (the CCP) tell the international community. China is in trouble now. , it has to face the domestic response, and it has to face these two, including the president of the European Union and the president of France. They all have important weight in the international community, so you are unlikely to expect Xi Jinping to say anything else, He will express it in other ways because he has domestic needs.”
Su Ziyun, director of Taiwan’s Institute of National Defense Strategy and Resources, told The Epoch Times on April 7 that von der Leyen is the highest person in charge of international organizations in European countries. She expressed to Xi Jinping her opposition to the use of force by the CCP to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. This is a very important change in trend.
Su Ziyun said that the general trend is changing. “No matter what President Biden said last year that he would send troops to help defend Taiwan, British Prime Minister Sunak pointed out at the G20 last year that security and peace in the Taiwan Strait are very important. Then NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that he was very concerned about the CCP’s treatment of Taiwan. Threat of force. This time von der Leyen said that he opposes the use of force by the CCP to change the status quo.”
He said that the general trend of the world is already very clear, which is to ensure the peace and stability of Taiwan, and at the same time prevent the CCP from using force to threaten Taiwan. Of course, in such a powerful atmosphere, the most important thing is Taiwan itself. Seizing the time to quickly strengthen its defense capabilities is the top priority.
As for the CCP’s official media deliberately ignoring Von der Leyen’s tough statement and only emphasizing what Xi Jinping said, Su Ziyun believes that this further shows that the CCP’s official media has always had the problem of not being trustworthy.
Macron signed a big order, Xi said he was willing to fully cooperate with experts: it may not be counted
During Macron’s visit to China, France and China engaged in commercial cooperation, and China nodded to purchase 160 Airbus passenger planes. Xi Jinping also attended and delivered a speech at the closing ceremony of the Sino-French Entrepreneurs Committee meeting. In addition, Xi also claimed that he is willing to comprehensively restart China-EU exchanges at all levels and activate cooperation in various fields.
Lu Qinglong said that the purpose of the CCP is very clear, because it is sanctioned by the international community, so it wants to improve bilateral relations with France, just like the CCP has been trying to improve a better relationship with Germany. But the focus is on how it will be implemented.
“Whether China will abide by it even if it signs it is important. The French and Europeans are not the same as before. Whatever you say, everyone is conservative and cautious now. It is not the same in international trade. Speaking with your mouth, your actual actions and how well you keep your promises are the key.”
Lu Qinglong said that Xi Jinping expressed his willingness to cooperate with Europe at all levels because the CCP hopes to break through the blockade and sanctions imposed by the United States or Western countries. “In China, all fields serve politics.”
Regarding the EU-China trade issue, von der Leyen said at the press conference that she pointed out to Xi Jinping that EU-China trade is extremely unbalanced. Last year, the EU’s trade deficit with China was nearly 400 billion euros, and the trade deficit with China had tripled in the past 10 years. “This trend is unsustainable,” she said.
Von der Leyen also talked about the unfair competition faced by European companies in China, pointing out that the CCP authorities pressured European companies to transfer technology, and the protection of intellectual property rights was insufficient. In addition, medical equipment is also discriminated against by the “buy Chinese products” policy.
Von der Leyen also mentioned the “de-risking” (de-risking) economic policy towards China. She said that reducing the EU’s dependence on imports of products in key areas of China is not “decoupling”, but focusing on dealing with specific risks, and stressed that this should be resolved through EU-China trade dialogue. However, the CCP’s official media distorted von der Leyen’s words as “the European side completely disapproves of ‘decoupling and breaking the chain’”.
Responsible editor: Wu Hao#