High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on 14 January that EU ministers were expressing solidarity with Lithuania in its dispute with China. They attended an informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers held in Brest on the same day and discussed this and other issues (see other news).
“We discussed how to actively pursue appeasement in this crisis [...] There is a need to remain vigilant and see how Chinese actions affect our interests”, Borrell told reporters.
On his arrival in Brest on 13 January, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis called for a European response to the conflict: “We think it’s a European problem, requiring a European solution. I’m ready to inform my colleagues about where we are, what we’re facing and ask for EU solidarity”.
Le Drian referred to the anti-coercion tool presented by the European Commission in December (see EUROPE 12849/1). However, this instrument cannot be mobilised over the coming months before the legislative process is completed and adopted. The EU therefore has few means at its disposal to act quickly and effectively.
However, EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said on 10 January that the European Commission was working on opening consultations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) on this issue (see EUROPE 12865/4).
Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the European Parliament, David McAllister, who was also present in Brest, said that “the current state of relations is not trivial. One should not be naive about this”.
Furthermore, Josep Borrell announced that the EU-China summit would probably take place at the end of March. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal with Camille-Cerise Gessant)