Parliament discusses the European Union’s response to the growing global challenges stemming from a more repressive and assertive China. Against the backdrop of China’s continued rise as a political and economic powerhouse on the world stage, the plenary debate zooms in on a broad range of issues linked to the EU’s relationship with Beijing. Extracts from the debate where MEPs focus on the recent sanctions from China towards members, the situation in Taiwan and the working condiitons of the Uyghurs. The transcription is the result of an automatic process. Please, check against delivery.

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

EU - China (T)

WEBER, Manfred (EPP, DE)

GARCÍA PÉREZ, Iratxe (S&D, ES)

BÜTIKOFER, Reinhard (Greens/EFA, DE)

China's market economy (T)

BORRELL FONTELLES, Josep (PSE, ES, EC)

SÉJOURNÉ, Stéphane (Renew, FR)

VON DER LEYEN, Ursula (DE, EC)

The need for a coherent strategy for EU-China Relations: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, We can't stop negotiating with China when it comes to trying to sort out the biggest problems in the world, because China's not a democracy. There's more than 40 highly indebted countries, for example, there's thousands of millions of people affected by climate change. Things like this mean that we have to work together. China's got more cold than the rest of the world put together, and it's the biggest creditor for emerging countries.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the EC in charge of a stronger Europe in the World, If we really want to be a geopolitical player, we need to be present throughout the world to reaffirm our positions, to defend our interests, to call for calm, to face down provocations no matter where they come from. That's why the best way is to go back to the status quo. Taiwan is clearly part of our geostrategic perimeter to guarantee peace, to defend our interests without throwing oil on the fire.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, The point I made in Beijing is that we do not want to cut economic, societal, political and scientific ties. We have many strong links, and China is a vital trading partner. Our trade represents some &euro;2.3 billion a day. Most of our trade in goods and services remains mutually beneficial. But there is an urgent need to rebalance our relationship on the basis of transparency, predictability and reciprocity.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ursula VON DER LEYEN, President of the EC, A strong European China policy relies on strong coordination between member states and EU institutions and on the willingness to avoid a divide and conquer tactics that we know we may face. We have already, in the recent days and weeks, seen those tactics in action.

SOUNDBITE (German), Manfred WEBER (EPP, DE), 90% of our high quality semiconductors are produced in Taiwan and Taiwan in this region stands for freedom and democracy. If you're going to attack Taiwan, you're destroying want to destroy democracy, as we have seen in happened in Hong Kong. It's naive to say that Taiwan is not something that concerns us. Obviously, Europe has to act on its own behalf. It has to find its own way. We shouldn't just swallow anything that's been spoon fed from the US.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Iratxe GARC&#205;A P&#201;REZ (S&amp;D, ES), We should remember that human rights are universal and needs to be respected everywhere in Xinjiang and Hong Kong. Mission to China needs to be clear Maintaining sanctions against members of this House will make it impossible for us to build trust. The time has come for China to lift the sanctions against members of the European Parliament.

SOUNDBITE (French), St&#233;phane S&#201;JOURN&#201; (Renew, FR), I fully agree with my colleagues, the United States, an important ally in the stability of the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan's Security depends on that and also elsewhere. And that's why we're developing our cooperation with Taipei. But it's also because of our values that this Parliament can't consider any new agreement with China. While some of our colleagues on the sanctions and while the Uyghurs are being persecuted.

SOUNDBITE (English), Reinhard B&#220;TIKOFER (Greens/EFA, DE), Chair of the Delegation for relations with the People&apos;s Republic of China, The focus on human rights is not an "accessoire" for our foreign policy. It's at the centre and we're not selling it for a lentil stew. We're willing to cooperate with our systemic rival China. But cooperation cannot be a one way street. And we have to be clear eyed. China is a revisionist power with hegemonic ambition, aiming at building a Beijing centric global order.