Mike Pompeo and top EU diplomat to discuss ‘increasing shared concerns about China’
- The US and China both have been trying to engage Europe, as they see the continent as crucial amid their worsening rivalry
- Pompeo will also reportedly try to discourage Italy from accepting Chinese investment in port facilities under the Belt and Road Initiative
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is planning to hold his first China dialogue with his European Union counterpart this month, a senior EU diplomat said on Friday, a move that will unsettle Beijing as it tries to prevent the build-up of a transatlantic united front against it.
Pompeo is also expected to visit Italy and the Vatican, according to Italian media reports, in a bid to discourage Italy from accepting Chinese investment in port facilities and to put pressure on the Holy See, which has seen warming ties with Beijing.
Top diplomats from the US and China have accelerated their push to engage the EU at a time when the continent is seen as crucial by both parties to a worsening rivalry over economic, technological and geopolitical influence.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior EU diplomat confirmed that the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, would formally propose the dialogue when he meets the foreign ministers of the 27 EU countries on Monday.
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China’s foreign minister begins Europe tour to discuss US influence, Hong Kong issues and Huawei
The EU-US dialogue on China will take place regularly, the diplomat said, adding that it is expected to start as early as this month.