China cancels visit by EU foreign chief Josep Borrell. Next week, Borrell was scheduled to speak with China’s foreign minister in China, but Chinese authorities canceled the appointment, a spokesman for Borrell said. “I think the Chinese are not in the mood for strategic problems for a while.”
He’s by no means certain, but foreign commentator Bernard Hammelburg has an idea why Borrell no longer has to come to China. The first reason is personal: according to Hammelburg, the head of EU foreign policy in China ‘they don’t like it so much’.
Furthermore, Hammelburg thinks of another reason. ‘There were all kinds of talking points on the agenda, they call them strategic issues: the war in Ukraine, the Russian role in it and human rights. Frankly, I think the Chinese are not in the mood for a while.’
Geopolitical position
According to the foreign commentator, the geopolitical position of the European Union also plays a role in the cancellation. “If there are big things to discuss, China and America prefer not to do it with Brussels, but with a certain number of capitals.” In support, Hammelburg cites the Wagner Rebellion, which Biden knew about two weeks earlier. He has chosen to inform the UK, France and Germany, but not Europe as a whole.
Also, Hammelburg says, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will visit China next Thursday. “They’ll talk about practical things there, like the exchange rate of the yuan and everything that goes back and forth. They don’t know if anything will come of it, but they can do business with it.’
Power show
The fact that the cancellation came so late can, according to Hammelburg, be interpreted as a show of power by China. ‘I think so. It could also be a form of deliberate humiliation, but we don’t know for sure.”
The cancellation comes at a time when relations between the EU and China were not already rosy. “The Chinese are quite angry with some European countries, especially for bowing to US pressure. Just think of the ASML question. But they don’t want to discuss it with Borrell. Maybe first with Rutte, as prime minister of the country where that car is. The EU simply doesn’t matter to the extent that it matters in the eyes of the Chinese.’
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
