Distance from China "neither feasible nor in Europe's interest"

According to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, relations between the EU and China will in future be determined by China's position on the Ukraine war. "The way China reacts to Putin's war will be a decisive factor," von der Leyen said in Brussels on Thursday. She is expected in Beijing next week with French President Emmanuel Macron.

"President Xi remains undeterred by the cruel and illegal invasion of Ukraine and maintains his 'boundless' friendship with Putin's Russia," von der Leyen said. China has not yet condemned the Russian war of aggression.

“China is committed to playing a constructive role in the quest for a just peace. But this peace can only be just if it is based on respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” she continued. "Any peace plan that locks in Russian annexations is unworkable," she stressed.

China presented a twelve-point plan in February that sparked skepticism in the West. Last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping was received with great pomp in Moscow by his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. At the meeting, both heads of state reaffirmed their desire for greater cooperation.

According to von der Leyens, it is "neither feasible nor in Europe's interest" to distance oneself from Beijing. “Our relationships are neither black nor white, and neither can our response. So we need to focus on mitigating the risks,” she stressed.

Human Rights Watch urged von der Leyen and Macron to also address ongoing human rights abuses in the country during their trip to China. The president and EU politicians should "not sweep the Chinese government's growing authoritarianism under the rug," the organization stressed.

"Russia's war crimes in Ukraine should not be a reason (...) to ignore the increasing human rights violations by the Chinese government," it said. HRW refers, for example, to Chinese policy in Tibet, against Taiwan and Hong Kong, and Beijing's dealings with the Muslim Uyghur minority.

Macron wants to travel to China from April 4th to 8th. He had suggested von der Leyen accompany him in order to speak with a "European voice". Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) had already traveled to Beijing in early November. Macron had previously advertised a joint trip, which the Chancellor had rejected. He had pointed out that it was his inaugural visit.

"Kick-off Politics" is WELT's daily news podcast. The most important topic analyzed by WELT editors and the dates of the day. Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, among others, or directly via RSS feed.