According to a report by the South China Morning Post, after the tense negotiations in Beijing last week and the heavy trade blows from Washington, EU officials felt exhausted and had few victories as doubts about the EU's global influence continued to grow. The Sino-EU leaders' summit held in Beijing last week did not witness much dramatic events, which was itself considered an achievement.

However, according to insiders, the EU found that Beijing was unwilling to make concessions on some of its long-standing complaints, and was eager to show the confidence and swagger that European officials said had been displayed since China forced the United States to lower tariffs three months ago. However, compared to previous summits, discussions on the Ukraine issue were reportedly open, honest, and more meaningful, as EU officials previously felt their concerns were immediately ignored at earlier summits.

The report states that during talks with China, the EU again urged it to restrain Russian President Putin, while China pointed out that US President Trump failed to fulfill his promise made before the election to end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours, proving that no one has much leverage (influence) over the conflict.

The report stated that although the Sino-EU summit did not yield breakthrough progress, the EU felt satisfied that Beijing would not have any illusions about the EU's determination and seriousness on the Ukraine issue, including the willingness to extend sanctions.

According to sources, officials plan to hold meetings in September to monitor the progress of the upgraded rare earth licensing agreement.

According to sources, China continues to urge the EU to restart the approval process for the suspended Comprehensive Agreement on Investment between China and the EU, and to negotiate the end of the electric vehicle dispute, but the proposed exchanges are minimal. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has repeatedly stated that Sino-EU relations are at a "turning point."

On Monday, EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Valdis Dombrovskis said, "At the beginning of the year, we hoped for better results. But I must say, despite our great efforts and multiple long meetings with the Chinese counterpart, unfortunately, the list of issues on the negotiation table has not only not shortened, but has become longer and longer."

After returning from Beijing, a official said that it was obvious that due to China's unwillingness to compromise on some issues, "the EU must stand firm if it wants to maintain competitiveness." However, after experiencing the trade blows from Trump over the weekend in Scotland, there is growing doubt about how much courage Europe actually has to resist - unless it's internal strife, which Europe seems very interested in.

The EU was forced to accept an agreement imposing a 15% tariff on European goods, and publicly thanked Trump's proposal after the meeting held in Scotland on Sunday, sparking a heated debate within the EU about its sovereignty.

WhatsApp groups were filled with photos of EU negotiators awkwardly posing with Trump at his golf resort in Tambourine. A few days ago, von der Leyen had vowed to "defend our interests" in Beijing, but now she smiled beside Trump, giving him the same thumbs-up gesture.

Several EU trade negotiators - many of whom had previously dealt with Trump - smiled reluctantly, showing painful expressions. Some imitated Trump's signature gesture, giving the thumbs-up under pressure, with one EU official calling it an example of "Stockholm syndrome."

Von der Leyen said, "Finally, I personally thank President Trump for his personal commitment and leadership in achieving this breakthrough. He is a tough negotiator, but also a master of deals." Her remarks sparked criticism, with European newspapers using headlines to highlight the "surrender," "humiliation," and "subservience" to Trump.

French Prime Minister Barnier wrote on social media platform X: "The von der Leyen-Trump agreement: it's a dark day when a group of free people gather together, confirm their values, defend their interests, yet decide to submit." However, Barnier did not mention that he himself intervened to remove American bourbon whiskey from the EU's list of American goods targeted for retaliatory tariffs in April.

Clark, who previously served as the chief EU representative in agricultural negotiations, refuted von der Leyen's claim that this was "the largest trade agreement in history." He said, "This is not the largest trade agreement in history. It actually weakens trade. This is the worst trade agreement in history... It's a very bad day for the EU."

For China, the agreement between the EU and the US may also have implications. Dombrovskis said that the US and the EU are "exchanging views" and hinted that Brussels still hopes to cooperate with Washington. Dombrovskis noted that both sides pledged to restore cooperation to prevent steel and aluminum imports caused by "non-market global overcapacity."

At the same time, a White House statement released on Monday said that the US and the EU will resume cooperation on "supply chain resilience," mentioning previous collaboration against Chinese practices. The statement read, "The two sides will take complementary measures to address non-market policies of third parties, and cooperate on domestic and foreign investment reviews, export controls, and anti-tax evasion."

Overall, analysts agree that the agreement reached in Scotland - along with some leaders' flattery of Trump during the NATO summit last month, when NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg described Trump's handling of the Iran-Israel war on the 12th as "father-like," and the eventual U.S. military bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities - has made Europe appear weak in the eyes of other countries around the world, including China.

Similarly, regarding the Beijing Sino-EU summit, Bajk, a senior China-EU relations analyst at Rhodium Group, reported that although the summit's outcome was unsatisfactory, the term "turning point" might still persist.

Source: rfi

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7532667542016459316/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author, and you are welcome to express your opinion by clicking on the 【top/down】 buttons below.