EU leaders hope for a deal with China before the new year. Now they receive a clear Twitter message from one of those closest to Biden.

It is not just Donald Trump who uses social media to talk to other countries.

First: The dry and diplomatic message:

“The Biden-Harris administration would welcome early consultations with our European partners on our common concerns regarding China’s economic practices.”

And then the same text, translated into everyday speech:

“Hey UE! Give us a call before talking to Beijing further!”

The message, that is, the first, was posted on Twitter by Jake Sullivan on Tuesday night. Sullivan has been named Joe Biden’s National Security Advisor. Therefore, you can be counted on to speak on behalf of your boss. Your invitation was attached to a link to a news article. It was about a possible investment agreement between the EU and China.

For six years, the EU has been negotiating with China on the CAI investment deal. The agreement will facilitate the entry of European companies in the Chinese market.

After a period of weak interest from the Chinese authorities, the negotiations appear to have suddenly loosened. Now, EU leaders hope that an agreement will be possible before the new year, writes the Reuters news agency.

Call on the EU to wait for Biden

And this is what has caused Jake Sullivan to send a tweet to the leaders of the EU. That message must be heard, says former NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

In a message, also on Twitter, Rasmussen notes that there is only one month left until Biden assumes power in the White House. Rasmussen is a former Danish prime minister.

“The new administration will facilitate a coordinated approach by China with like-minded allies,” he wrote.

And add:

“We should not rush to reach an investment agreement with China before the end of the year when our negotiating cards are improving.”

Increasing security risk

In recent years, the EU and the US have had quite different approaches to China:

• Market access and economic opportunities are at the heart of Europeans.
• National security and geopolitical rivalry have become increasingly important to Americans.

EU leaders are under pressure from various quarters. Companies want better access to the Chinese market. At the same time, intelligence authorities are warning of the growing danger from Chinese hackers.

The question of 5G development became a touchstone. The Chinese company Huawei presented tempting offers throughout Europe. At the same time, the United States warned of the security risk.

In the end, Huawei was excluded from the 5G competition in most European countries, including Norway.

Concerned about reports of forced labor

The human rights situation in China has also made many European politicians more skeptical of a potential investment deal.

In several countries, politicians have already announced a fight against the possible deal. And the agreement must be approved by the European Parliament before it can enter into force.

One of them is the German Margarete Bause, who represents the Green Party. In a speech to the German parliament this week, he posed the following question to Chancellor Angela Merkel: How can an investment deal with China be negotiated while hundreds of thousands of Uighurs have been forced to work in Xinjiang?

Merkel responded by saying that German authorities are concerned about the situation in Xinjiang. But he added that this is not a crucial point in the negotiations.

Last week, the European Parliament condemned the use of forced labor in Xinjiang. Parliament also requires that an investment agreement with China include promises that the country will abide by international agreements prohibiting this practice.

Beijing authorities deny that Uighurs are forced to work in factories in Xinjiang.

“The allegations are unfounded,” Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told a news conference in Beijing on Tuesday.