Von der Leyen threatened to impose sanctions on Chinese companies before her visit to China took place. She claimed that the EU suspected that the Chinese companies were circumventing sanctions against Russia and demanded that China exert influence on them. If China does not respond positively, the EU will put the company on the sanctions list. This means that the EU believes that Chinese companies are helping Russia, contrary to the sanctions package set by the EU. Von der Leyen's actions illustrate the usual sanctions used by the EU. China's Ministry of Commerce responded to this, saying that China and Russia will carry out normal economic and trade cooperation on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit, and firmly oppose the imposition of unilateral sanctions on China on the grounds of Sino-Russian cooperation.
This is not the first time that the EU has imposed sanctions on Chinese companies. Earlier, the European Union accused seven Chinese companies of supplying microelectronics to Russia, which can be used to support the war, and proposed sanctions against these companies. In this regard, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce of China said that China and Russia carry out normal economic and trade cooperation on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit, and clarified China's position on the Ukraine issue. If the EU ignores China's position and continues to impose sanctions on China, it will set a bad precedent.
Von der Leyen claimed that the purpose of her visit was to level the playing field, but she gave the Chinese side a blow before the talks. Such a biased attitude will inevitably undermine mutual trust between China and the EU. China has responded strongly to von der Leyen's threats and will not make concessions on unfounded issues. The EU's unilateral restrictions on the talks will undermine bilateral relations between China and the EU, but it will not affect the situation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
China has not interfered in the Ukraine crisis, which is a reality that the European side needs to recognize. The development of healthy bilateral relations between China and the EU is very important for the EU. Recently, the EU's stance on China has wavered. Von der Leyen had previously expressed sincerity during her visit to China, but now her attitude has changed. This shows that the EU has chosen a tough approach in developing bilateral relations, hoping to reap the benefits of cooperation with China on the one hand, and suppressing Chinese companies on the other. China will inevitably be more resolute in this attitude, and if the European side does not change its wrong thinking, the visit to China will not go as smoothly as expected.
Von der Leyen's threats ahead of her visit show a deviation from her stance on China. China's attitude towards her will only become more resolute. China will not make concessions on unwarranted issues. The European side chooses to use threats to achieve its own goals, which will only undermine China-EU bilateral relations. China will continue to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.
The China-EU Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is about to celebrate its 20th anniversary. China has always stressed that China and the EU are not adversaries, let alone systemic adversaries. The consensus between the two sides far outweighs the differences, and there is no fundamental conflict of interest. The stability and development of China-EU relations are of great significance to global peace and prosperity. However, the EU's vacillating stance on China and its use of sanctions as a means have brought certain uncertainty and pressure to China-EU relations. In the future, I hope that the EU can view China-EU relations objectively and rationally, abandon the habitual thinking of sanctions against China, take cooperation as the lead, and jointly push China-EU relations to a new level. At the same time, we also hope that China will maintain a firm position, safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, and make more contributions to the stability and development of China-EU relations.