USA and the European Union promised this Wednesday to join forces to counter China’s non-commercial economic practices and misinformation, particularly about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The two partners looked to their Trade and Technology Council (TTC) in Sweden for common interests, such as artificial intelligence and future trade in green goods, but China proved to be a pervasive topic.
In a joint statement, they stated that they were ready to address non-commercial practices jointly and multilaterally. They highlighted China’s policies in the medical device sector and its adverse effect on European and American workers. Furthermore, they said they were “exploring possible coordinated actions.”
China is facing criticism for closing its medical device market to non-Chinese producers and discriminating against foreign producers in public tenders. The statement says that the European Union and the United States are deeply concerned about the manipulation, interference and misinformation of foreign information.
They explained that Russian reporting on its invasion of Ukraine and China’s “amplification of Russian disinformation narratives” were clear examples of the dangers. Brussels says it considers China a partner in some fields, an economic competitor and a strategic rival. The European Union plans to recalibrate its China policy, acknowledging that coordination with a more aggressive United States is essential, Reuters reported.
He US Secretary of State, Antony Blink, He stated that the views of the European bloc and his country had increasingly converged. «None of us seeks disengagement. On the contrary, we all benefit from trade and investment with China. But unlike disengagement, we are focused on reducing risks and have heard the same language from leaders on both sides of the Atlantic,” he said.
