BRUSSELS (Reuters) – EU leaders are set to call on China next week to help bring an end to the war in Ukraine, engage in global challenges, such as climate change, and rebalance its economic relations with the European Union, a senior EU official said on Tuesday.
EU leaders meet for a summit in Brussels on June 29-30, with China and economic security among the main topics. The call to China is set out in draft conclusions prepared ahead of the summit, which could still change.
The official said the draft conclusions were in line with the Group of Seven (G7) declaration from May, but with more specific EU-China issues, such as rebalancing the economic relationship and the need for reciprocity.
“I think it’s important that we set the notion of de-risking in stone and diversification,” the official said, referring to an EU policy to reduce its economic reliance on China.
The official said leaders were likely to focus their discussions on the role of China towards Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and economic ties. Western leaders have urged China to use its influence over Russia to stop the conflict.
Earlier on Tuesday, the European Commission presented a new economic security strategy, advocating stronger control of exports and outflows of technology. The Commission did not name China, but the country was clearly a focus of its thoughts.
The official said some EU member states were currently quite cautious on the proposal, given that granting of export licences and security are national competences.
(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Jonathan Oatis)
