Against the backdrop of twists and turns in China-US relations, China-EU relations are gradually facing tests. Recently, Bloomberg quoted sources as saying that the EU plans to hold a summit with China on December 7-8, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel will lead a delegation to China for the first face-to-face talks in four years. However, the announcement comes at a time when the EU has put forward two major demands on China, which have attracted attention, and the outside world has expressed different views on the EU's arrogant attitude.
When von der Leyen announced the news of her visit to China at a public event, she seemed to be a little too eager to achieve quick results and announced the visit plan ahead of schedule. This unusual behavior sparked controversy and was criticized as impolite. At the same time, the EU leader's visit to China is not just a ceremonial visit, but has two major tasks.
The first involves sanctions against Russia, and EU leaders plan to ask China during the summit to exert influence on "13 Chinese companies that circumvent sanctions against Russia." If the Chinese side fails to respond positively, the companies will be placed on a "blacklist" as part of sanctions against Russia, the sources said. The European Union is mulling a 12th round of sanctions to cap Russian oil** and prevent Russia from accessing items for military use. The proposed mandate is seen as putting pressure on China to exert greater influence in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
However, the arrogance and impracticality of this request were immediately questioned. The EU has repeatedly imposed sanctions on Chinese companies under the pretext of "aiding Russia", but in the context of sanctions faced by Russia, Chinese enterprises have developed normal relations with Russia and have not been maliciously hindered by third parties. Therefore, this demand of the EU leaders is difficult to achieve in practice.
The second task of EU leaders is to seek China's mediation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. According to reports, they hope that China will commit to cooperate with Ukraine's ** Zelensky and resume support for the peace plan. The request shows that the EU wants China to play a more active role in international affairs, but it also sparks discussion about the degree of respect for China's neutral stance.
Against the complex backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, China has always maintained a neutral and objective attitude. While China is willing to witness the end of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Western countries, as the initiators, should also take concrete action, not just hope that China will exert influence on the issue.
In general, the future of EU-China relations depends on a rational and equal dialogue between the parties. If the EU wants to use pressure to achieve its own interests, without regard for China's independence and neutrality, then the relationship between the two sides could face even greater twists and turns. In international affairs, mutual respect and dialogue on an equal footing are the cornerstones of maintaining world peace and stability.