The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, announced on Friday 1 February in Bucharest that EU foreign ministers had agreed to coordinate further on China as a “strategic partner”, which represents both “opportunities and challenges”.
Speaking to the press at the end of the Gymnich ministerial meeting, Ms Mogherini explained that the main outcome of the discussion between the ministers had been “the strengthened will to coordinate more our positions and to exchange more information among us”.
The ministers will return to the issue at a formal ‘Foreign Affairs’ Council prior to the annual EU-China Summit in April.
Thus, according to the High Representative, it is important for Member States to exchange information and coordinate their approaches, both among themselves as well as with EU candidate countries, particularly the countries of the Western Balkans where China is investing heavily.
For Romanian Minister Teodor Meleșcanu, “cooperation with China must be promoted on a pragmatic basis”.
Cooperation between Member States concerning China already exists. Mr Meleșcanu recalled that 16 countries from Eastern and Central Europe have already met within the “16+1” group to “better manage relations with China”. “The objective is to operate in a climate of full and complete transparency, within a framework that respects European legislation and EU values”, he added.
The Minister called for a revision of Europe’s strategy on connectivity with Asia (see EUROPE 12099), while China is developing its new Silk Road initiative (‘One Road, One Belt’).
Many questions have been raised concerning EU-China relations. And while Beijing is the leading trading partner of a number of Member States, Belgian Minister Didier Reynders asked “how can we try to establish a ‘level playing field’ in our relationship with China?”
Chinese investments are hoped for as much as they are feared. “We are all attracting Chinese investment to Europe, but where are the protections for our strategic interests in this area?” Mr Reynders wondered. According to him, Chinese investments in infrastructure, particularly in the Balkans, have “a useful element”, but also “an element of strategic risk”.
Europeans are putting in place a regulatory framework for screening investments in the EU from third countries (see EUROPE 12141).
“We must try to develop a common policy while always keeping in mind this balance between the economic interests present in all these issues and the major social, environmental and human rights issues we want to confront”, Mr Reynders summarized. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)