In the context of the seventh high-level meeting of the EU-US Dialogue on China, the European External Action Service (EEAS) indicated on Wednesday, 11 September, that EEAS Secretary General Stefano Sannino and Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell met on Monday and Tuesday, 9 and 10 September, to discuss China.
Faced with competition from China, both parties stressed, first and foremost, the importance of maintaining open communication with the country as well as pursuing “close coordination between the United States and the European Union in advancing shared objectives”.
The partners notably mentioned their concerns about Chinese exports of dual-use goods used by Russia in the war in Ukraine as well as China-based companies’ involvement in evading and circumventing sanctions.
They then reaffirmed their commitment to supporting free and fair trade and to reducing dependencies in critical sectors.
The EU and the US also discussed human rights violations in China, particularly in Tibet and Xinjiang; the erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong; and tensions in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.
In addition, the two parties held the sixth meeting of the High-Level Consultations on the Indo-Pacific—emphasising the need for a free, open, and rules-based region. They have committed to pursuing close coordination on China and the Indo-Pacific region.
Another meeting is scheduled to take place in Washington in 2025. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)