Our Relations with China Are Inevitably Complex: Borrell

The European Union must continue its support for Ukraine, but at the same time, it must address other strategic issues, including the Indo-Pacific region, with China at its center due to its growing assertiveness. This was stated by the EU's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, during his speech at the Indo-Pacific Conference held in Brussels.

“These days we are witnessing the high price that China is paying for its 'zero COVID' policy, and we are seeing the growing discontent among Chinese citizens about lockdowns. Beyond the 'zero COVID' policy, it is becoming increasingly evident that China is changing, with a strengthening of power concentration and a rise in nationalism,” Borrell said.

The high representative for EU foreign affairs and security policy noted that last month the EU Council at the ministerial level and the European Council discussed what all this means for the European Union. “We agreed that we must commit to a 'three-pronged approach' towards China, viewing it as a partner, an economic competitor, and a systemic rival. We cannot look at China from just one perspective. Our relations with China are inevitably complex. The competitive component of the 'three-pronged approach' is growing and becoming dominant,” Borrell pointed out.

The diplomat emphasized that with such a partner, it is necessary to enhance one's own resilience and avoid excessive dependencies. According to him, this involves a whole agenda of issues, including procurement, subsidies, critical raw materials, and more.

“Finally, we must work more with allies to strengthen our cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly on security issues,” the head of European diplomacy highlighted.