Von der Leyen: China is a vital partner

"We do not want to cut relations with China which is a vital trading partner", but "it is a relationship unbalanced by the distortions created by Chinese state capitalism", a relationship that "we must rebalance through transparent competition", "making our economy more competitive and resilient", moreover, it is necessary to aim at "strengthening the international system", "ensuring diplomatic stability and keeping the communication channels with China open", said the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen regarding relations between China and the EU that "are not black or white": "this is why I will soon visit Beijing with President Macron to manage this relationship, with an open and frank exchange". "How China will continue to react to Putin's war" in Ukraine "will be a determining factor for the future of EU-China relations," said the president of the European Commission. China must play a role in pressing for a "just peace" in Ukraine, she added. China "is increasingly repressive internally and assertive externally" and also "we must change our approach", because "China is less dependent on the world while the world is more dependent on China", a country that " promotes an alternative vision of the world order in international contexts where individual rights are subordinated to national security” and “the friendship shown to Moscow says more than a thousand words about this new vision”.