Leyen/Michel Refuse To Outline Consequences For China Aiding Russia

One of the key questions from the EU-China summit is the consequences for Chinese cooperation with Russia. At the EU presser following the summit EU president Charles Michel took a question from Politico explicitly asking Michel to define the consequences for aiding Russia.

• Michel responds by saying the situation is 'extremely serious and extremely dangerous' and both Michel and Leyen stress that China needs to assert pressure on the Kremlin to stop the war.
• The two EU leaders also avoid answering the other key question: Whether the EU can see evidence of China aiding Russia. Michel says in response: 'We share the same goals, we want peace we want prosperity, we want security...'
• Leyen reiterates China's role in upholding the rules based global security order and says that the EU made it very clear that China must, at the very least, not interfere with Western sanctions.
• The subtext, although not explicitly outlined, is that China will face economic consequences from Western companies leaving China. Leyen stressed a number of times that Russia is facing economic damage due to the departure of Western capital and hinted that this may extend to China, although as yet there does not appear to be a clear policy for applying pressure to China.
• Laurence Norman of WSJ: 'Absolutely, blindingly clear -- even though @vonderleyen @eucopresident are avoiding saying it -- that EU have received absolutely zero assurances from Xi, China on Beijing not circumventing sanctions or not supporting Russia or seriously weighing in to stop the fighting.'