There are new tensions between China and the European Union: The reason: The authorities of the People’s Republic have not shown a recorded critical opening speech by the President of the Council of the EU, Charles Michel, at the major trade fair in Shanghai. Michel wanted to sharply criticize “Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine”.
The video was scheduled to be shown on Friday during the opening ceremony of the China International Import Expo (CIIE). Moreover, according to several diplomats, Michel wanted to urge China to do more to stop the bloodshed in Ukraine.
China has not yet criticized the Russian invasion
So far, China has consistently refused to criticize the Russian war. It should also be emphasized that Europe will learn “important lessons” from the conflict. Europe has been too dependent on Russia for fossil fuels, leading to an imbalance in trade. Europe wanted to avoid “excessive dependencies” in its trade relations in the future, diplomats familiar with the speech said. “The same goes for our trade relations with China.”
Dependence on China becomes a problem for Europe
The high degree of reliance on the People’s Republic is increasingly critical in the EU. According to Dortmund chip manufacturer Elmos, the German government recently banned the sale of Elmos wafer production (wafers are round or square discs about one millimeter thick, which serve as a base plate for chips, etc., note) to the subsidiary of a Chinese company. Berlin’s permission for Chinese state shipping company Cosco to enter an operating company at a terminal in the Port of Hamburg had previously sparked discussions.
The EU acknowledged that Michel’s speech was not screened. “Indeed, at the request of the Chinese authorities, we sent a recorded message that was ultimately not shown,” Michel spokesman Barend Leyts told Reuters. “We have raised this through normal diplomatic channels.” Neither the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor the Expo’s co-organizers would comment on the process.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
