Von der Leyen Outlines EU's Position on China

On Thursday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen outlined her vision for the future of EU-China relations in a speech in Brussels.

"It is clear that our relations have become more distant and more difficult in the last few years," she said, but added, "I believe it is neither viable or in Europe's interest to de-couple from China."

In a speech at the Center for European Policy and the Mercator Institute for Chinese Studies, ahead of a trip with French President Emmanuel Macron to China next week, von der Leyen said Europe should "de-risk" its relationship with China.

Tensions between the EU and Beijing have been greatly worsened by a host of issues, including the Taiwan issue, China's repression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, and the EU's dispute in the World Trade Organization with Beijing over its trade restrictions against member Lithuania.

"These escalatory actions point to a China that is becoming more repressive at home and more assertive abroad," von der Leyen noted.

There is also concern about Beijing's refusal to condemn Russia's war in Ukraine and its close ties with Moscow.

"We have to be frank on this point. How China continues to interact with Putin's war will be a determining factor for EU-China relations going forward," the European Commission leader said.