France: Ursula von der Leyen, the chief of the European Union, plans to advocate for fair competition, without distortion, when discussing China with President Xi Jinping.
President of the European Commission Christine von der Leyen stated, “I have made clear that the current imbalances in market access are not sustainable and need to be addressed,” hours before she, Xi, and French President Emmanuel Macron were to meet in Paris.
As EU investigators comb into the trade policies of Chinese companies doing business in the EU, Xi started a three-nation tour of the continent on Sunday.
Last week, the European Commission launched an inquiry to find out if European manufacturers of medical equipment are granted equitable access to the Chinese market.
Similar investigations of Chinese providers of wind turbines and Chinese subsidies for solar energy, EVs, and trains preceded this one.
Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers are gaining headway on European automakers like Volkswagen and Renault, since they have benefited from governmental subsidies amounting to billions of euros in recent times.
As Moscow continues its war on Ukraine, EU authorities are equally concerned about Beijing’s military collaboration with Russia and Chinese espionage.
In contrast to Washington’s aggressive measures to completely block off major Chinese businesses, Von der Leyen on Sunday underlined the bloc’s view that it should “derisk” ties with China but not decouple from the second-largest economy in the world.
With the Chinese president likely to try to take advantage of rifts amongst Western allies, Xi’s visit is viewed as a test of the EU’s attempts to tread carefully between Beijing and Washington.
Although European leaders are concerned about Beijing’s increasing clout and influence, they cannot agree on how to handle the intense rivalry between the US and China.
With Xi receiving the official honors of a full state visit, Macron, who has frequently cautioned against Europe turning into a US vassal, is perceived by many as trying to create a third path in geopolitical ties.
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