EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, recently denounced Beijing as the “main instigator” behind Russia’s war in Ukraine, emphasizing that the deep economic ties between the EU and China are limiting the bloc’s ability to punish Russia.
She called on EU countries to emulate NATO’s spirit and establish an “Economic Article 5” alliance, where if any member state faces economic threats from China, all member states should unite in response.
According to Bloomberg, Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the EU, stated in Brussels on Tuesday (November 18) that if the EU is not willing to bear the cost of confronting China, then China “could still harm you, and that’s the problem.”
She stressed, “If you are not willing to pay the price, then it’s hard to take action.”
At a time when the EU is trying to pressure Beijing to stop aiding Russia in evading sanctions, Kallas believes that without China’s support, “this war would have ended earlier.”
In her one-year tenure, Kallas has maintained a tough stance towards Beijing. As early as September, she publicly criticized Beijing for holding large-scale military parades and identified China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran as regimes posing a direct challenge to the rule-based international order.
Kallas pointed out that Europe’s weakness in dealing with China lies in the lack of unity, resulting in not being taken seriously enough.
Her proposed solution is to draw inspiration from NATO’s Article 5, which considers an attack on one country as an attack on all member states, to establish a stronger sense of interdependence.
Kallas said, “If we could have an ‘Economic Article 5’ alliance, meaning if (China) used such coercion tactics against one member state, then all other countries would stand up and say this is wrong.”
German Finance Minister, Lars Klingbeil, has just concluded his visit to Beijing. Despite this economic contact, Klingbeil still urged the EU to adopt a “united front” against China.
The German government is taking a tougher stance on China. The German Parliament has appointed an expert committee to review its trade policy with China. Meanwhile, Chancellor Merkel announced last week that the government has decided to replace Huawei components in the 5G network and prohibit the use of Chinese-made parts in future 6G networks. Officials emphasize that “all suppliers are subject to the same standards. This is about security.”
Kallas also condemned Russia’s “state terrorism” and classified the explosion that damaged the Polish railway line over the weekend as a “very serious” act of destruction, warning that such actions aim to “spread fear in our society.”
The EU has today (November 19) unveiled a new defense and military strategy aimed at enhancing coordination of forces and military equipment within Europe.