The EU-China summit went better than expected. The Chinese side made concessions, and rescued the joint Declaration at the end of the meeting. Beijing also promises to cooperate in a Reform of the WTO.
The expectations to the annual routine, the EU and China’s Prime Minister Li Keqian meetings between the leading politicians were deliberately hung low. The similarities would hardly be sufficient for the adoption of a Abschlusscommuniqués, it was said in the case of the EU, you’ll be expected to go without any tangible progress apart. But the Chinese Delegation came with new Commitments to Brussels, which came after all to preserve the face on both sides. The feared diplomatic Affront.
A future for the EU-China partnership?
“The negotiations were difficult, but in the end fruitful,” said EU Council President Donald Tusk. A partnership must always be based on reciprocity, he said the Chinese guest. In the current economic Situation, the EU and China had a large interest in the Functioning of a rule-based trading system.
This is an open allusion to the trade war between the US and China, and on the renewed threats from Washington towards the Europeans. The unexpected announcement by US President Donald Trump, he wanted to raise customs duties to the value of eleven billion dollars to the EU-export of goods, subsidies for the European Airbus to compensate for the group-also overshadowed the Meeting between Le Keqiang and the leaders of the European Union in Brussels.
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For both the question what is the strategic interest is stronger here: to preserve a kind of partnership in the face of pressure from Washington, or just their own interests. After all, the EU is the largest trading partner for China; conversely, Beijing is for the Europeans to square 2. In this Situation, the Chinese side showed that you don’t want to have with all the international partners simultaneously to the dispute.
Chinese Guest Gifts
“It is a breakthrough. For the first Time China has agreed on a Reform of the WTO to cooperate,” says EU negotiator Donald Tusk: a Reform, the strengthening of a rule-based trading system and the equal treatment of partners, based.
Premier Li Keqiang took place in this context, a kind of strategic turning point. He promised that “European companies should be” treated. The accusation of forced technology transfers poisoned for a long time the relations: Western companies are forced to give technological Knowledge to Chinese Joint Venture Partner, the use it to provide you with copycat products on the international market. The Prime Minister said a dispute resolution mechanism that would deal with the complaints of foreign companies in China.
The challenge of shaking hands: Donald Tusk, Li Keqiang, Jean-Claude Juncker (l. to R.)
There were in addition to concessions in a dialogue with state support for Chinese companies with the aim “to strengthen the international rules for aid”, that is, to urge China to maintain a “level playing field” in dealing with the EU.
In how far these Commitments for European companies have virtually that has yet to be tested. China makes its announcements are not always followed by deeds, as least 2017, as the President had made Xi Jinping at the world economic forum in Davos, a far-reaching commitment to market opening, has not been implemented.
In contrast, Premier Li Keqiang in Brussels, said: “We must deliver what we promise.” Both sides would strengthen the work to find solutions that could reduce a number of key obstacles.
The end of naivety in the EU
In March, the EU had checked in a policy paper their attitude to China and the much tougher position taken. In some areas, China is a Partner, in others a system of relevant rival and economic competitor. The French President, Macron had spoken at a Meeting with President Xi recently in Paris of a “end of the innocence” compared to China. The Meeting in Brussels was the first meeting after the aggravation of the positions of Principle.
The EU is a more realistic assessment of the cooperation with China and the attempt to achieve an end to the unequal treatment. In this respect, the EU considers that the outcome of the summit meeting with the Chinese Premier as a first success, when the EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, warned after its conclusion, that although a partnership is more important than ever before, but you had to be “honest with each other”.