We can’t lose China, EU leaders say, China-Russia bromance freaking EU leaders out. Now they’re booking flights to Beijing

[beijingwalker]

We can’t lose China, EU leaders say​

Xi Jinping’s blooming bromance with Vladimir Putin is freaking EU leaders out. Now they’re booking flights to Beijing.

BY STUART LAU, JACOPO BARIGAZZI, GREGORIO SORGI AND CLEA CAULCUTT
MARCH 24, 2023 1:36 AM CET

BY STUART LAU, JACOPO BARIGAZZI, GREGORIO SORGI AND CLEA CAULCUTT
MARCH 24, 2023 1:36 AM CET

BRUSSELS — European leaders are suddenly falling over each other to get to China.

Amid growing concern that Chinese leader Xi Jinping is hardening his support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Thursday he will fly to Beijing for talks next week. Emmanuel Macron, the French president, will follow on a longer-planned trip on April 4.

A succession of European Union leaders used a summit in Brussels to raise the alarm about China’s ostentatious backing for Vladimir Putin this week, warning that they could not stand by while Beijing and Moscow cement an alliance that risks tipping the world deeper into crisis.

Their concerns followed Xi’s high-profile trip to the Russian capital, which shored up the position of his longstanding friend, Putin.

During a private session in Brussels, Macron urged his colleagues to redouble their efforts to stop China from deepening its support for Russia's invasion. “The French president underlined the need to make the utmost efforts to ensure that China does not support Russia and its capacity to move ahead with the war,” an EU official said.

The stakes in the shifting geopolitical dynamics could hardly be higher for Europe, or the wider world. A firmer partnership between China and Russia would risk escalating the Ukraine war into a conflict between NATO governments and Beijing, as well as Moscow.

Then there is the looming threat of a military clash between Beijing and Washington over Taiwan, which Western analysts say is at growing risk of invasion by Chinese forces.

Even without a military escalation, tensions are rising between Beijing and the West over security and trade. In recent weeks, a series of European governments have hit Chinese-owned social media company TikTok with restrictions, amid concern that Beijing’s dominance of technology poses a security risk to the West.

At the same time, EU governments are drawing up plans to limit their reliance on China for critical raw materials such as lithium for electric car batteries.

Speaking to media during the summit in Brussels, Latvian leader Krišjānis Kariņš described the Xi-Putin meeting in Moscow as “eye-opening for Europe.”

The meeting, he said, showed that “China is not taking the role of a broker [but is] moving overtly on the side of Russia and this is a difficulty for all of us.” Kariņš added that Beijing has the driving seat in its relationship with Russia, but it remains unclear where they want to drive this relationship.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also expressed concerns over the possibility of China providing concrete support to Russia, according to two diplomats involved in the summit in Brussels.

Spain’s Sánchez, meanwhile, confirmed he would be meeting Xi in China next week. Spanish officials said he would discuss China’s position paper on Ukraine. Spain will take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU from Sweden later this year.

While EU leaders raised fears over the closer Moscow-Beijing ties, there was no consensus in Brussels on whether the bloc as a whole should adopt a new approach to China.

Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel called for continued engagement with Beijing to try to bring the Chinese closer.

We might need China one day​

"China is not perfect, but we might need it one day," one EU official said. "Several member states share this assessment."

Others, though, are seemingly in support of a tougher line on China given the latest situation.

Macron’s diplomatic adviser, Emmanuel Bonne, talked to top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on Thursday. “China expects France and other European countries to play a part in … pursuing political resolution,” Wang said.

During his Moscow trip this week, Xi made no public promises of military support for Russia. However, U.S. officials have been warning of Beijing's willingness to give lethal aid to Moscow. POLITICO reported that 1,000 assault rifles and other equipment that could be used for military purposes have been sent to Russia from Chinese companies.

We can’t lose China, EU leaders say

Xi Jinping’s blooming bromance with Vladimir Putin is freaking EU leaders out. Now they’re booking flights to Beijing.

www.politico.eu

 

[tower9]

The Europeans are free to take a “tougher line” on China. They will be the ones to suffer the consequences. China has moved on. They don’t get it.

 

[etylo]

Yeah, you EU might need China on your side like to counter Russia while on other accounts you EU just stabs China from the back as we have seen so many times recently. Will China be that easily fooled by you EU and US ?

 

[beijingwalker]

Spain says world must listen to China's voice to end war in Ukraine​

FILE PHOTO: European leaders summit in Brussels
Reuters

Fri, March 24, 2023 at 9:36 PM GMT+8·1 min read

MADRID (Reuters) - The world should listen to China's voice in order to find a way out of the war in Ukraine, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Friday, ahead of his state visit to Beijing next week.

"China is a global actor, so obviously we must listen to its voice to see if between all of us, we can put an end to this war and Ukraine can recover its territorial integrity," Sanchez told a news conference in Brussels following a meeting of the European Council.

He is set to visit the Chinese capital on March 31 for talks with President Xi Jinping.

The meeting between the two leaders is expected to mostly focus on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, in which China has described itself as "impartial" and put forward a 12-point peace plan while calling for a comprehensive ceasefire.

Sanchez has publicly backed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi's peace proposal, which includes demands to restore Ukraine's territory to the status quo before Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Spain says world must listen to China's voice to end war in Ukraine

The world should listen to China's voice in order to find a way out of the war in Ukraine, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Friday, ahead of his state visit to Beijing next week. "China is a global actor, so obviously we must listen to its voice to see if between all of us, we can...

news.yahoo.com

 

[beijingwalker]

France's Macron Says EU Chief To Join Him On China Visit Next Month

Macron is set to travel to China early next month for talks with President Xi Jinping, as Western leaders are urging Beijing to pressure Russia over the war in Ukraine.​

World NewsAgence France-Presse
Updated: March 24, 2023 7:40 pm IST

He has called on Beijing to help convince Moscow to end its year-long invasion of Ukraine.

Brussels:
French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen would accompany him on an upcoming visit to China.

Macron is set to travel to China early next month for talks with President Xi Jinping, as Western leaders are urging Beijing to pressure Russia over the war in Ukraine.

Macron said after a summit of EU leaders in Brussels that he had asked von der Leyen to come with him for part of the trip to present a "united voice" to China.

He has called on Beijing to help convince Moscow to end its year-long invasion of Ukraine.

China has sought to position itself as a neutral party on the conflict, even as it has burnished it ties with Russia.

It published a 12-point position paper in February calling for urgent peace talks and a "political settlement" to end the conflict.

Macron has said China's efforts are positive but insisted peace can only be achieved if Russia withdraws its troops.

France's Macron Says EU Chief To Join Him On China Visit Next Month

French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen would accompany him on an upcoming visit to China.

www.ndtv.com

 

[Meengla]

The Europeans are free to take a “tougher line” on China. They will be the ones to suffer the consequences. China has moved on. They don’t get it.

I believe tough sanctions against China would hurt both America, the EU and China a lot. There is just too strong co-dependencies. If tough sanctions against China were an easy option they would have been applied years ago. And if China thought it wouldn't face too much hardship due to the America-EU tough sanctions then China would have supplied weapons to Russia in the on-going war.

As often, diplomacy is guided by the gains and losses in the battle fields and so in this scenario too we will find out based on the battle fields outcomes....

 

[khansaheeb]

The Europeans are free to take a “tougher line” on China. They will be the ones to suffer the consequences. China has moved on. They don’t get it.

Europoodles do what they do best : poodling

 

[lightning F57]

EU is behaving responsibly for a change by trying to engage China further. Any escalation will take us all a step closer to WW3. An amicable solution needs to be ironed out to end this war.

 

[beijingwalker]

It's the first time that a major European war and struggle requesting an Asian country to help and mediate in modern history.

 

[tower9]

I believe tough sanctions against China would hurt both America, the EU and China a lot. There is just too strong co-dependencies. If tough sanctions against China were an easy option they would have been applied years ago. And if China thought it wouldn't face too much hardship due to the America-EU tough sanctions then China would have supplied weapons to Russia in the on-going war.

As often, diplomacy is guided by the gains and losses in the battle fields and so in this scenario too we will find out based on the battle fields outcomes....

Yes, it would hurt all parties. But China will be the most ready to absorb the pain. Trust me about that. The EU and the US will suffer incredible shocks to their living standards, Western societies will be thrown into tumult and chaos while the Chinese people, who have the most resilience and discipline out of the three populations, will adapt and shift quickly.

 

[BHAN85]

You can't lose something never was yours.

Xi support (acceptance) to Putin is since first day of Ukraine war.

Europoodles do what they do best : poodling
View attachment 921877

A rich continent ruled by dumbshit corrupt politicians, dumbshit clasists rich kids (unlike USA, that is ruled by very smart wall st bankers).

If world is running out of cheap energy and raw materials, the most easy movement for USA is deceive dumbshit European rulers to **** up themselves.

And that's happening right now, Ukraine war is basically that.

Relations between smart American ruling elite and dumbshit European ruling elite since Ukraine war, can be sum up in this funny scene of the Simpsons.

Nothing is so easy to deceive than a classist dumbshit person with authority fallacies, and EU elite is plenty of that kind of idiot.

 

[Meengla]

Yes, it would hurt all parties. But China will be the most ready to absorb the pain. Trust me about that. The EU and the US will suffer incredible shocks to their living standards, Western societies will be thrown into tumult and chaos while the Chinese people, who have the most resilience and discipline out of the three populations, will adapt and shift quickly.

Correct!

And this goes for all peoples in the world. As long as the nation which is more wiling to absorb more losses and suffer more pain than the rivals, then that nation has some great advantages and short of nuking that nation, that nation is likely to come out ahead.

The similar dynamics would play out in case of a conflict between Israel and its neighbors: The neighbors would attack from all sides with cheap missiles and rockets, shutting down the Israeli airspace and its economy and the good prosperous 'Western' life they enjoy while the neighbors, being much poorer and less used to the luxuries of life, could endure the pain of the war much better.

American costs for the Ukraine war are, relative to the American economy, are small. But already there are powerful voices rising against America's $$ going to Ukraine. Imagine if real pain comes to America??

 

[tower9]

Correct!

And this goes for all peoples in the world. As long as the nation which is more wiling to absorb more losses and suffer more pain than the rivals, then that nation has some great advantages and short of nuking that nation, that nation is likely to come out ahead.

The similar dynamics would play out in case of a conflict between Israel and its neighbors: The neighbors would attack from all sides with cheap missiles and rockets, shutting down the Israeli airspace and its economy and the good prosperous 'Western' life they enjoy while the neighbors, being much poorer and less used to the luxuries of life, could endure the pain of the war much better.

American costs for the Ukraine war are, relative to the American economy, are small. But already there are powerful voices rising against America's $$ going to Ukraine. Imagine if real pain comes to America??

This is France after a few months of heightened inflation and pension cutting.

If they apply across the board sanctions against China, their cost of living will skyrocket uncontrollably. We are talking probably 50% or more for most household items/goods.

Meanwhile in China, manufacturers and businesses will suffer drops in orders and income but people will understand that China is being suppressed, they will eat rice and porridge to get through it, and will find new markets in Africa, Asia, Latin America, etc. and adapt. Most Westerners do not understand this because they constantly look at Chinese people with a racist lens and assumes they are inferior without objectively understanding the reality.

 

[beijingwalker]

This is France after a few months of heightened inflation and pension cutting.

If they apply across the board sanctions against China, their cost of living will skyrocket uncontrollably. We are talking probably 50% or more for most household items/goods.

Meanwhile in China, manufacturers and businesses will suffer drops in orders

Not even a dent, this world needs products and they are from China, even the west santioned China, they still buy made in China products from third countries, China won't be affected, the west pays extra for the transit, both China and the non west rest of the world are happy.

 

[tower9]

Not even a dent, this world needs products and they are from China, even the west santioned China, they still buy made in China products from third countries, China won't be affected, the west pays extra for the transit, both China and the non west rest of the world are happy.

True. China will continue to manufacture the supplies and just transit them through Vietnam, Indonesia and Bangladesh with a "Made in So and So country" stamp on it. It's going to be the Western consumer that is going to be fucked through and through.

More I think about it, China really only has much to gain from the West sanctioning it and nearly nothing to lose. They probably made this calculation and that's why they no longer give a **** about even trying to accommodate any US concerns or interests. They have made it clear they are going to kill the dollar and they give no fucks anymore.