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The president of the European Council has discussed with his Chinese counterpart the war in Ukraine and urged him to use his “influence on Russia.” Charles Michel said Xi Jinping “made very clear” that China is not providing any weapons to Moscow.
Michel visited Xi in Beijing on Thursday for what he called a “candid dialogue” about trade and other issues. EU countries import more from China than from anywhere else — over 20 percent of their goods — and their exports to the country amount to 10 percent of the total.
Michel wants to see more. He said the EU and China need to discuss areas they can work better together, but also talk about and manage their differences.
Forty percent of EU trade passes through the Taiwan Strait. Michel said he stressed the importance of promoting stability in the region.
Officials with the Chinese Foreign Ministry released a statement saying the EU will “not interfere in China’s internal affairs.” They said the bloc is ready to become a “reliable and predictable cooperation partner.”
NATO leaders warned earlier this week against being “over-dependent” on China. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg repeated that warning at a conference in Berlin on Thursday, saying countries need to “manage the risks.”
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