Cautious US, EU responses to China’s party congress signal widening gulf with West
- US says congress will not influence approach to China, while the EU sees a deepening of ‘assertive’ China’s global ambitions
- Landmark event has given historic third term as party leader to President Xi Jinping, who revealed a top team of hand-picked loyalists
Washington said the latest twice-a-decade party conference would not change the US approach for managing competition with China, while Brussels interpreted the meeting as reinforcing China’s ambitions to expand its global influence.
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China’s 20th party congress concludes with bigger than expected leadership reshuffle
Few Western governments commented on the congress beyond customary congratulatory messages to Xi for securing a third five-year term.
“It was very clear from the Communist Party congress that President Xi is continuing to reinforce the very assertive and self-reliant course China has taken,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said as the week-long event drew to a close.
“Clearly, China is continuing a mission to establish its dominance in East Asia and its influence globally.”
The US State Department had “noted” the conclusion of the party meeting, spokesman Ned Price said on Monday, as he repeated the Biden administration’s long-standing China policy of cooperating in a handful of areas and managing competition in others.