Thread by @BlancaMSM

🧵 Thread following @vonderleyen's speech on 🇪🇺EU-China 🇨🇳relations to @merics_eu and @epc_eu 🧵

#UrsulavonderLeyen #VonDerLeyen #EuropeanUnion #China #EUChinaRelations

@vonderleyen @merics_eu @epc_eu "We must preserve and uphold the right of all think tanks to be analytical and to be critical" - @vonderleyen starts her speech by expressing her solidarity with all "individuals and institutions unfairly sanctioned by China".

"Our relationship with China is one of the most intricate and important anywhere in the world. How we manage it will be a determining factor of our fouture economic prosperity and national security" - @vonderleyen

@vonderleyen has recognized China's achievements in dealing with poverty and highlighted China's international projection, internaitonal aid, and power, underlining how that "puts into question any notion od China being still a developing country"

In the light of the post-pandemic reopening of China, "defining a European Strategy towards China ... must start with a sober assessment of our current relations and of China's strategic intentions" - @vonderleyen

On Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow: "It is clear from this visit that China sees Putin's weakness as a way to increase its leverage over Russia, and it is clear that the power balance in the relationship ... has now reversed" - @vonderleyen

On the 12-point peace plan: "Any peace plan that would consolidate Russian annexations is simply not a viable plan ... How China continues to interact with Putin's war will be a determining factor for EU-China relations going forward" - @vonderleyen

"We also underscore the importance of peace and Stability in the taiwan Strait. Any weakening of regional stability in Asia ... affects global security, the free flow of trade, and our own interests in the region". - @vonderleyen

On Xinjiang, @vonderleyen reiterate's the EU's concern regarding human rights violations. "This will be another test for how, and how much, we can cooperate with China".

@vonderleyen further critiques Chinese use of economic dependance and leverages to apply coercive measures.

To conclude @vonderleyen's speech: three broad conclusions that can be drawn on how China is changing, which in turn must shape how our policies will need to change too:

1⃣China has moved from reform and opening to an era of security and control
2⃣The imperative of security and control now trumps the logic of free markets and open trade
3⃣The CCP's clear goal is a systemic change of the international order with China at its center
- @vonderleyen

"it is neither viable nor in Europe's interest to decouple from China ... we need to focus on de-risking, not de-coupling" - @vonderleyen

@vonderleyen considers that, in EU-China relations "islands of opportunity remain that we can build on": climate change cooperation ahs shown what can be done when interests align, even in the context of today's international tensions.

"We need to rebalance this relationship on the basis of transparency, predictability, and reciprocity" - @vonderleyen

"After de-risking with diplomacy, the second strand of our future China strategy must be economic derisking" - @vonderleyen

Four pillars of 🇪🇺 economic derisking vis-à-vis 🇨🇳according to @vonderleyen:
1⃣Increased 🇪🇺 competitiveness and resilience
2⃣Better use of existing trade instruments
3⃣Define the 🇪🇺-🇨🇳 relationship regarding sensitive high-tech areas
4⃣Alignment with other partners