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For China, EU ties looking rocky after re-election of hawkish Ursula von der Leyen
- German’s wider-than-expected win in European Parliament, plus other bloc leaders’ dim standing, paves way for tough policies towards Beijing
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Finbarr Berminghamin Brussels
China’s relations with Europe face another rocky five years after hawkish German politician Ursula von der Leyen secured another term at the helm of the European Commission, vowing to persevere with her tough policies towards Beijing.
A wider-than-expected majority of lawmakers backed von der Leyen in a vote at the European Parliament on Thursday, granting her another half-decade leading the body that proposes and often enforces legislation for the 27-member bloc.
While many policies are set in national capitals, the commission has decision-making powers for trade and competition – two of the most contentious components of the EU-China relationship.
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During her first term, von der Leyen pursued a strategy of de-risking from Beijing and oversaw a blitz of investigations, cracking down on what she called “market-distorting” subsidies in China’s hi-tech and clean-tech spaces.
A manifesto released shortly before the vote suggested that the German was not for changing: for Beijing, von der Leyen 2.0 looks a lot like von der Leyen 1.0.
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“The more aggressive posture and unfair economic competition from China, its ‘no-limits’ friendship with Russia – and the dynamics of its relationship with Europe – reflect a shift from cooperation to competition,” the manifesto read.
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