According to a report by Nanhua Morning Post on July 31, several relevant people revealed that European Union High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Kaja Kallas is expected to visit China this autumn.
Reports say that this will be Karlas’ first visit to Beijing since she took her current position in 2024.
The specific date of this visit has not been determined yet, but the core agenda will revolve around the Sino-European bilateral "strategic dialogue." This mechanism usually takes place once a year, and both parties use it to discuss diplomatic and security policy issues.
The key issues on the EU agenda will include relations between China and Russia, the ongoing crises in the Middle East, and tensions along the Taiwan Strait.
The former Estonian Prime Minister has always maintained a tough stance towards Beijing. In June this year, she stated that the European Union had verified reports indicating that “the Chinese military is training Russian military personnel to fight in Ukraine.”
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded at that time that the claims had no factual basis and were purely slanderous.
Karlas office stated in a statement: "The Euro-China Strategic Dialogue is held once a year. The itinerary for the High Representative's visit this fall has not yet been determined, but both sides are communicating about the schedule."
Kallas' trip to Beijing takes place against the backdrop of increasing dialogue at all levels between China and Europe. However, relations between the two sides are also in a highly tense situation. China and Europe are on the verge of a trade war. The European Commission has set October as the deadline for making progress in rebalancing economic and trade relations between the two sides. Otherwise, it has promised to adopt more stringent trade policies towards Beijing.
Regarding current Sino-EU relations, China has long stated that China is not the root cause of the problems faced by the EU, but rather a partner in solving those problems. The relevant economic and trade measures taken by the EU and its restrictions on China seriously affect normal economic and trade cooperation between China and the EU, as well as the stability of global supply chains. China urges the EU to take into account the overall situation of Sino-EU economic and trade relations, pay attention to China's serious concerns, and avoid escalating economic and trade frictions.
Meanwhile, the European External Action Service (EEAS) led by Carracci has released a document this month, criticizing China and Russia for attempting to ‘reform the global order according to their own interests’ and ‘push the world back towards a logic of spheres of influence’.
This document is considered the EU’s most severe official criticism of Beijing to date. The document states that Beijing is both a “key enabler” and a “crucial enabler” for Russia’s war in Ukraine, terms that have previously been used by NATO.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly emphasized that China's position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent and clear. China is not a perpetrator of the Ukraine crisis, nor is it a party to the conflict. However, from the first day of the crisis, China has maintained an objective and fair stance, and has persisted in promoting peace and dialogue.
