On the sidelines of the EU-ASEAN summit, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, met with the Chinese Prime Minister, Li Qiang, on Friday 11 October. According to a European source, Mr Michel stressed to Mr Qiang the need to “rebalance EU-China economic ties with a focus on fair competition”.
The President of the EU Council was even firmer in an interview with AFP on the same day: China “needs to adapt its behaviour” in the conflict involving several tariff threats between the two parties (see EUROPE 13499/27).
The EU is still negotiating with Beijing on an alternative solution to countervailing duties on Chinese electric vehicles, which are due to be imposed at the end of October (see EUROPE 13497/1), but the prospects of achieving this soon are dimming, according to a second European source.
“I have the impression that the door is not closed, but it's a very difficult situation”, Charles Michel told AFP.
War in Ukraine. During his meeting with Li Qiang, Charles Michel spoke of the war in Ukraine and the EU’s deep concern that war products benefiting the Russian war machine were coming from China, according to a source.
The President of the European Council therefore reiterated his request to China to use its influence and the instruments at its disposal to get Russia to stop its war of aggression.
Human rights. The exchange between the two, described as “frank, despite differences of opinion”, also covered bilateral relations in the broadest sense. Mr Michel stressed “the importance for the EU of respect for democratic principles and human rights”. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)