EU Comm. Outlines China Views As Beijing Blasts G7 Communique

(MNI) London - Leaders of the European Commission are outlining their views on EU-China relations presently, delivering statements to the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has just finished and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen now speaking, the latter after travelling to China last week. Link to livestream:https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/ebs/live/2

• Borrell: "Economic security should have an impact on foreign policy." VdL: "In the last decades China has become an economic powerhouse and a key global player. It is now reducing its dependency on the world while increasing the world’s dependency on itself. We need to develop a new approach.[...] De-risking but not decoupling.'
• There remain major differences within the EU, and its institutions, on what stance to be taken on China. The aim of some (notably French Pres. Emmanuel Macron) to enhance EU 'strategic autonomy' on foreign/security policy remains majorly hindered not only by reliance on US defence spending but also major differences in views on China from member states.
• Separately, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has criticised the communique from the G7 foreign ministers' meeting that has recently concluded in Japan. According to wires spox states that, 'The meeting grossly interfered in China's internal affairs, maliciously smeared and discredited China [...] It was full of arrogace, prejudice against China; we have made a strong demarche to the host Japan.'