EU "India is more than an economic partner"... Strengthening ties to pressure China

EU Fails to Reach Joint Statement After Summit with China
Issues Joint Statement Promising Strengthened Cooperation with India

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Sun-mi] The European Union (EU) is initiating a reset of its relationship with China by pledging to strengthen its partnership with India, with which it has diplomatic tensions with China.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) in Hong Kong on the 16th, Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, stated after a virtual summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the 15th (local time) that the relationship between the EU and India is more than just an economic partnership.

At a press conference, he said, "The EU and India are more than economic partners. We are also political partners," adding, "India can rely on the EU, and we can also rely on India as a key partner."

When asked by reporters whether India is more strategic to the EU than China, he mentioned, "Both India and the EU are democracies that respect human rights and international law. Therefore, we have the potential to strengthen cooperation in various areas such as the economy, environment, and digital issues." Regarding the border dispute between China and India, he called for a peaceful resolution.

SCMP noted that Michel’s public expression of India as a 'political partner' demonstrates the EU’s close alignment with India and interpreted this as a sign that there is a strong call within the EU to revise its approach to China following the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law.

Furthermore, SCMP highlighted that the joint statement issued after this summit, in which the EU and India agreed to strengthen their strategic cooperation based on shared principles and values such as democracy, freedom, the rule of law, and respect for human rights, is a significant achievement. This contrasts with last month’s summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang, and the EU, where no joint statement was produced. Last month, the EU pressured China to repeal the Hong Kong National Security Law during the summit with China’s top leaders but failed to narrow differences, resulting in no joint summit statement being issued.

Meanwhile, at this EU-India summit, both sides agreed to hold ministerial-level talks to advance trade and investment agreements. They also pledged to further develop security and defense cooperation and military contacts, including maritime security in the Indian Ocean.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.