EU boasts India ties amid diplomatic tension with China

Name: India bans dozens of Chinese apps, including TikTok and WeChat, after deadly border clash
Uploaded: 2020-07-15T16:37:50.000Z
Duration: 3 min 8 s
Description: India bans dozens of Chinese apps, including TikTok and WeChat, after deadly border clash

European Council President Charles Michel called on India and China to peacefully resolve the border dispute

‘The EU and India are more than economic partners – we are political partners,’ says Michel

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European Council President Charles Michel speaks during a news conference in Brussels on Wednesday after a virtual summit with the Indian prime minister. Photo: AFP

Stuart Lau

Published: 12:37am, 16 Jul 2020Updated: 3:23am, 16 Jul 2020

The European Union on Wednesday vowed to “reinforce strategic goals” with India, casting New Delhi as an “indispensable partner” amid increasingly difficult ties with China.

Speaking after a virtual summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Council President Charles Michel called on India and China to peacefully resolve the border dispute that recently claimed Indian lives.

The warmth EU leaders bestowed on India, which it stressed as a like-minded democracy, is cast against what it calls a systemic rival in China, with the situation in Hong Kong prompting Europe to consider a “revision” in its approach to China.

New Delhi and Brussels also came up with a joint statement after the summit – a contrast to the inability of Beijing and Brussels to come to terms with one after the meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang last month.

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India bans dozens of Chinese apps, including TikTok and WeChat, after deadly border clash

“The EU and India are more than economic partners – we are political partners,” Michel told reporters after the summit. “India can count on the European Union, and we count on India to be a key partner.”

On the border conflicts, Modi “had the occasion to inform us about the latest developments regarding this incident with China. We support all the efforts to maintain a channel of dialogue in order to find peaceful solutions,” Michel said.