4.1.22
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said China had a “special responsibility” to demand that Russia respect international law and to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty. “No European citizen would understand any support to Russia’s ability to wage war,” she said in a statement to Bloomberg ahead of the virtual summit Friday. “It would lead to major reputational damage for China here in Europe.” The war in Ukraine was expected to dominate the long-scheduled summit, with the EU chiefs ready to warn China that any help to Russia to avoid sanctions or to supply weapons will result in severe consequences, diplomats and officials said. The EU wasn’t planning to spell out those consequences to maintain strategic ambiguity, but one official said they could include sanctions. Europe is trying to strike a difficult balance: giving China a stern warning over Ukraine, human rights and trade issues, while still trying to maintain the EU’s objective of re-engaging with the Asian giant.
Western nations have seen no evidence so far that China has materially helped Russia evade sanctions, according to several officials. “China stands ready to maintain communication and coordination with the European side and continue playing a constructive role together with all parties concerned in resolving the crisis and restoring peace in Europe at an early date,” Wang Hongjian, the top diplomat at China’s mission to the EU, wrote in an opinion piece. The two sides agreed to hold the summit in the fall after a long freeze in relations over alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang. Now, with the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, decisions related to Russia are set to shape the relationship between Beijing and Brussels for years to come. “It is important to understand, that this is not only a defining moment for our continent, but for our relationship with the rest of the world,” Von der Leyen said.
