EU leaders urged Chinese President Xi Jinping to pressure Russia to end its war against Ukraine, acknowledging that relations between Beijing and Brussels have reached a "turning point," writes UNN with reference to Politico.
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These sharp statements, which highlighted deep tensions in EU-China relations, came at the beginning of a summit dedicated to the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries on Thursday.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa traveled to Beijing to meet with Chinese leader Xi — after Xi himself declined an invitation to go to Brussels for the event.
The EU and China are at a "turning point" in their relations, von der Leyen told Xi in her opening remarks in Beijing. "As our cooperation deepened, imbalances also increased," she noted. And added that "it is vital for China and Europe to acknowledge our respective concerns and offer real solutions."
In his opening remarks, EU Council President Costa also pointed to an imbalance in economic relations, stating: "We need concrete progress on trade and economic issues. And we both want our relationship to be balanced, reciprocal, and mutually beneficial."
And he criticized Beijing for the role it played in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, we call on China to use its influence on Russia to adhere to the UN Charter and to end its aggressive war against Ukraine
Last week, the EU included two Chinese banks in its latest sanctions against Russia, prompting Beijing to express "strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition" to the "blatant" move.
Xi, in his speech, agreed that EU-China relations are at a "critical stage."
He called China and the EU "two big guys" on the world stage who must "make the right strategic choice that meets the expectations of the people and stands the test of history."
"China and Europe should improve communication, strengthen mutual trust and deepen cooperation, providing the world with more stability and certainty," Xi said.
EU presidents will hold talks with Xi on Thursday, and will also meet with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
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