Europe will continue to cooperate with China, but should be careful not to become too technologically dependent on China. Charles Michel, President of the European Council, said this shortly before the start of the G20 summit on the Indonesian island of Bali.
At the summit meeting of 20 major economies, the war in Ukraine and the situation in North Korea are among the agenda items.
Michel described the talks between Chinese leader Xi and US President Biden as “important and positive”. The two spoke yesterday for the first time since Biden became president. During the three-hour meeting, Taiwan was discussed.
According to Michel, Europe and China “continue to talk to each other despite the differences on both sides because it is important to listen to each other to build a better understanding”.
“Not the same mistake as Russia”
He stressed that Europe should not make the “same mistake” with Russia. In doing so, he refers to the dependence on Russian gas. “As far as China is concerned, we don’t want to be too dependent on the technologies we need today and need even more in the future.”
“So it’s important to rebalance the relationship, and we need to work with the Chinese authorities to do that.”
Michel also said that he does not intend to sit on the sidelines at the summit during his talks with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. “We should use the G20 summit to persuade all partners to put more pressure on Russia,” he said. He explains that war “affects us all, wherever we live, from Europe to Africa or the Middle East.”
“The only way to end the acute food and energy crisis is for Russia to end this senseless war,” he said.
G20 summit begins
The 19 countries and EU summit started with the speech of the host country Indonesian President Joko Widodo. He warned of a dilemma in the world. We have a responsibility to the peoples of the world,” he said. Widodo appealed to other participants, including Lavrov. “We must not divide the world in two.”
He also touched upon the war in Ukraine in his speech. “We must end the war. If the war is not over, it will be difficult for us to assume our responsibility for future generations.”
Source: NOS
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
