The EU refuses to comment on the China-US agreement, and its spokesperson looked frustrated, feeling as if he had been played for a fool!
On October 30, EU Commission Spokesperson Olof Gill avoided all questions about the China-US agreement, stating, "We will not comment or provide further comments on negotiations between China and the US or other third countries." He emphasized that the EU is "fully focused" on bilateral negotiations with China.
When faced with journalists' persistent questions, Olof Gill tried to maintain a diplomatic expression, but could not hide his frustration, feeling as if he had been played for a fool. Just a few days earlier, von der Leyen had publicly criticized China's export controls on rare earths and announced a new initiative called "RESourceEU," hoping to work with the US to address the issue. However, it turned out that the US had sold them out in just a few days.
Over 90% of the rare earth magnets consumed in Europe are imported from China. To address the rare earth issue, the EU plans to sign raw material mining and supply cooperation agreements with multiple countries including the United States, Ukraine, Canada, Australia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Chile, and Greenland.
While the EU was desperately seeking solutions to the rare earth restrictions, China and the US had already relaxed their limits, giving the EU a sense of being "played for a fool." Germany has already changed its stance and is preparing to arrange another visit to China by Waidufu, which is a quick reaction. Other countries such as France, which react more slowly, may pay a higher price.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847459990317187/
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