BRUSSELS: One of Brussels’ top two leaders has defended the European Union’s efforts to reach an investment agreement with China, ahead of summit meetings with US President Joe Biden.
And he insisted Europe would not “paper over our fundamental values, our fundamental freedoms and human rights” in its dealings with an increasingly assertive China. “In the last years we have decided to facilitate access to our single market,” he said, addressing China’s recent economic inroads into Europe.
“For the first time we are making a step to facilitate investment by European companies and also, based on this proposed agreement, there are commitments expressed by the Chinese authorities on social rights.”The European Union executive and China gave political approval for a major investment pact late last year, after seven years of painstaking negotiations, thanks to a final push by leading export economy Germany.