The European Union regrets the lack of progress with China on trade

The ambassador of the European Union in China, Jorge Toledo, regretted on Sunday the lack of progress with China in trade matters, when the 27 EU countries seek to reduce their economic dependence on the Asian giant.

The European Commission suspended its efforts to get Member States to ratify and Parliament an agreement on investments reached at the end of 2020 with China, after seven years of negotiations and after divergences on human rights in the Muslim-majority region of Xinjiang.

In full cooling of relations, the The EU also decided to “readjust” its position on China in May to reduce their economic dependency.

“I regret to say that we have an economic and commercial dialogue that has not advanced, or at least not substantially, in the last four years,” said Jorge Toledo. The diplomat, who spoke at a forum organized in Beijing, did not specify what specific issues he was referring to.

“We want to negotiate with China, but we need progress and we need it this year,” insisted the EU representative in Beijing.

China is for the EU “at the same time a partner, a competitor and a systemic rival”, stressed Jorge Toledo.

One of the most tense issues with China is the ambiguity of the Chinese position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Although China does not recognize the territories annexed by Russia in Ukraine, nor has it condemned military intervention.

Ukraine “is the issue that can make or break relations between the European Union and China,” warned the Spanish ambassador to China, Rafael Dezcallar Mazarredo.