Faced with unprecedented global challenges such as climate emergency, the pandemic and war in Europe, the EU must avoid the trap of ‘power bloc logic’. Instead, it must define its own strategy towards China; one based on EU Open Strategic Autonomy, which ensures safe trade while defending multilateralism, highlighted Iratxe García at today’s plenary session in Strasbourg.

The S&D Group leader also underlined the fact that the EU should enhance dialogue with China to reduce risks and cooperate as much as possible, while clearly drawing red lines in defence of its values, principles and interests. For example, arms delivery to Russia and a forced change of status quo in Taiwan would be unacceptable.

Iratxe García said:

“The EU needs a strategy towards China that is coherent, effective, comprehensive and with more unity than ever. We want to reverse the negative course of relations between China and the European Union, and cooperate on important issues: reinforce multilateralism as a framework to address global challenges, accelerate the fight against climate change, achieve the Millennium Development Goals, and reform the international financial architecture. But, cooperation can only be based on reciprocity, transparency and respect for international law.

“President Xi Jinping – a traditional defender of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, and opposed to resorting to a nuclear attack – must act in accordance with his words. It is time to put pressure on those who violate these principles and threaten them with weapons: Putin's Russia.”