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BEIJING: The European Union and the United States should work together to tackle Chinese coercive diplomacy and coordinate with other countries in the region in the disputed South China Sea, the EU ambassador to China said on Thursday (December 10). .
US President-elect Joe Biden, who will take office on January 20, has spoken of the need to revitalize alliances with like-minded democracies as a central source of strength in dealing with China.
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EU Ambassador Nicolas Chapuis, speaking at an energy forum in the Chinese capital, said the EU hoped to reach an agreement with the new US administration on policy towards China.
“Let us cooperate with China as much as we can, when we can, when China is ready to cooperate. And we will not agree when we must,” Chapuis said.
“We need to have a common understanding to say ‘no’ to harassment and intimidation, coercive diplomacy, ‘wolf warrior’ diplomacy,” he said, referring to China’s increasingly assertive foreign policy.
Chapuis also called for European countries to work with Australia, New Zealand and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to “find common ground” on the disputed South China Sea.
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China claims almost the entire South China Sea and warns other countries not to interfere in its dealings with Southeast Asian countries that also claim parts of the waterway and are concerned about China’s increasingly militarized presence there.
“Freedom of navigation is essential. The South China Sea is not just a Chinese problem, it is an international problem,” Chapuis said.
