BRUSSELS: China has informed the European Union (EU) that it is cancelling the planned visit to Beijing by the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, scheduled for next week, according to Brussels on Tuesday.
Josep Borrell was set to travel to China for discussions with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, after the visit had been postponed in April due to a Covid infection.
“Unfortunately, the Chinese counterparts informed us that the envisaged dates coming week are no longer possible, and we now need to look for alternatives,” stated EU spokesperson Nabila Massrali.
EU Reducing Reliance on China for Technology
The cancellation of the trip comes shortly after European Union leaders, during a summit last week, endorsed a strategy to reduce the EU’s reliance on China for important technology and components.
The EU has emphasized that its relationship with China will be contingent on China’s approach to the war in Ukraine and has called on Beijing to use its influence over Moscow to encourage Russia to halt its actions.
However, the 27-member bloc asserts that it does not seek a complete decoupling from the world’s second-largest economy, even as it explores alternative supply chains for critical materials in other regions.
EU member states, with their diverse economic and political interests, have long grappled with forging a unified stance on China, while the United States has been pushing for a tougher approach from the EU.
