The European Union stressed, on Monday 4 March, that it expected China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to play a constructive role and to take every opportunity to defend and promote the UN Charter and international law in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to a press release issued by the European External Action Service on 5 March.
At a meeting between senior EEAS officials and the Chinese government’s Special Envoy for Eurasian Affairs, Li Hui, in Brussels on Monday 4 March, the European side explained that it expected Beijing to call on Russia to respect Ukraine’s principles of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity immediately and unconditionally.
The EU has reiterated its serious concerns about the large volumes of dual-use items and advanced technologies exported from China to the Russian military industrial complex, urging Beijing to take effective measures within its jurisdiction to curb the flow of these more sensitive products. The EU has adopted sanctions against Chinese companies indirectly supporting the Russian military industrial complex (see EUROPE 13357/1).
According to EEAS representatives, China’s position on the war inevitably has an impact on EU-China bilateral relations. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)