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Bloomberg
The European Union (EU) looks set to reinforce the US warning to China that Beijing would face serious consequences if it tried to cushion the blow of sanctions against Russia or provide Moscow with military support.
The EU and the US have been coordinating closely ahead of a virtual EU-China summit on April 1 and will continue to do so in the days ahead, according to people familiar with the matter and diplomatic correspondence seen by Bloomberg.
Communication with Beijing is set to be one of the topics that Joe Biden will discuss with EU leaders when they meet in Brussels and the US president will be looking to agree on a common message.
Ambassadors from several major EU countries meeting last week pushed for the bloc to emphasize that the war in Ukraine is potentially a defining moment for the EU-China relationship as well as for Beijing’s image as a global power, according to a document seen by Bloomberg. The bloc wants to encourage China to take a responsible stance by highlighting its role in defending a rules-based international system.
With the Western allies aligned on a powerful package of sanctions on the Russian economy and President Vladimir Putin trying to
find room for maneuver, China’s stance on the conflict in Ukraine is coming into sharper focus.