the EU struggles to make people forget “misunderstandings and communication errors”

2023-04-18 17:27:34

In the European hemicycle, it is very rare for a deputy to refer to Napoleon for anything other than to criticize the attitudes deemed too Franco-French in the EU. But this time, on the occasion of a debate on the relationship with an increasingly threatening China vis-à-vis Taiwan and closer to Moscow, the emperor was quoted several times by group presidents to prove him right: “So let China sleep, because when China wakes up the whole world will tremble. »

Chinese Defense Minister received by Putin

Relations are strained between Beijing and the Western powers. Gathered in Japan on the occasion of a G7, the latter condemned the “militarization activities” shipping, while promising to charge “high price” to countries assisting Russia in Ukraine. In response, Chinese diplomacy on Tuesday April 18 denounced a meeting that “interfered in China’s internal affairs, slandered and smeared China in a malicious way”. And during this time, received in person by Vladimir Putin in Moscow, the Chinese Minister of Defense said to himself ” determined “ to strengthen cooperation with the Russian army.

In this charged context, MEPs asked EU leaders to set out a “coherent strategy”, after Emmanuel Macron’s recent statements on his return from a visit to China. The French president felt that Europe should not be caught up in “crises that would not be the (his) »irritating allies anxious not to weaken relations with Washington and to influence the situation in Taiwan.

“Taiwan is firmly part of our strategic perimeter”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who accompanied Emmanuel Macron to Beijing, called on the EU not to repeat the “misunderstandings and miscommunications”inviting the community to be more “clear in the messages it conveys”. She recalled the European line: no “decoupling” of the relationship with Beijing, but the EU must work on a “derisking” from this link. Finally, rejection of any unilateral modification of the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.

The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, also recalled how much the EU needed the Taiwan Strait, where half of the world’s trade circulates every day, including semiconductors essential for European technologies. “Taiwan is firmly part of our strategic perimeter”, he insisted.

The debates that followed did not really help to close the incident. The German Manfred Weber, president of the EPP group (right) was the first to quote Napoleon, before launching into an anti-Macron diatribe, denouncing a “considerable harm” to which “only the populists applauded”. Macronist Stéphane Séjourné, head of the Renew group (Liberals), immediately replied that he “had no lesson to learn from a party that built our European dependencies” with regard to China.

Protecting European strategic interests

The European executive, as arbiter of these passes of arms, proposes to work collectively to rebalance its relationship with Beijing, “entered a new era of security and control”, after Ursula von der Leyen. First of all, the reduction of dependence, which goes through recently voted European texts on electronic chips or critical raw materials. This legislative arsenal must in his view be strengthened (health, defence).

Then there is the toolbox to protect European strategic interests, which remains to be completed, to prevent China from taking over advanced technologies from the EU. Finally, the diversification of supplies (hydrocarbons, rare metals, chemicals, etc.), in particular by relying on the countries of a G7 that is increasingly cold with Beijing.