Source: World Wide Web

[Global Network Reporter Jiang Yiling] According to Rossiya Segodnya (RT) on the 21st, citing Le Soir, European Commission President von der Leyen recently responded to the pressure of the United States on the EU to impose a maximum 100% tariff on China and India, saying that "the EU will make its own decision." RT commented in the title of the report that von der Leyen's move "rejected Trump's key demands".

Image by von der Leyen (data map / foreign media)

Earlier, the Financial Times quoted three informed officials as saying that Trump asked the EU to impose a maximum of 100% tariffs on India and China as a means of so-called joint pressure on Russia to end the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. However, European officials told the Financial Times that European member states had discussed secondary sanctions on countries such as China and India buying oil and natural gas from Russia, but considering the EU's trade relations with China and India, many countries were concerned.

In a recent interview, when asked ¡°How should the EU respond to Trump¡¯s demand for the EU to impose 100% tariffs on India and China,¡± Von der Leyen said, ¡°The EU will make its own decision.¡±

"We are equally clear that in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment, we must strengthen our partnership based on mutual interests," von der Leyen added.

Earlier, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Lin Cheng, said on September 10 that China has consistently held an objective and fair stance on the Ukrainian crisis. China is neither the producer of the crisis nor the party involved in it. We firmly oppose China's speech and firmly oppose China's so-called "economic pressure."

Extended reading

Foreign media: In order to "please Trump", the EU takes a tougher stance on China

The EU is still going its own way. On September 19, local time, the European Commission launched the 19th round of sanctions against Russia, and also targeted Chinese companies.

European Commission President von der Leyen issued a video statement on the same day, saying that in order to crack down on Russian energy revenue, this round of EU sanctions will target refineries, oil traders and petrochemical companies in third countries, including China, and will sanction cryptocurrency platforms and ban related transactions for the first time. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kallas said that the EU has proposed to take further measures against the so-called "actors from China and other countries that support Russia's military industry" and will also restrict Russia's access to key technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and geospatial data. and resources.

With regard to the new round of sanctions, several foreign media outlets describe the EU¡¯s tougher stance on China and even India, many of which are meant to ¡°please the United States¡± and ¡°please Trump¡±.

The Chinese side has repeatedly stressed that China has consistently opposed unilateral sanctions without the basis of international law and without the authorization of the UN Security Council, and will take the necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and financial institutions.

In his statement, von der Leyen declared that the EU will pursue those who "violate sanctions to buy oil to fuel the Russian war" and "will target refineries, oil traders and petrochemical companies in third countries, including China".

She announced that the European Union will ban the purchase of Russian liquefied natural gas, expand sanctions against its oil industry, and lower the price ceiling of Russian crude oil to US $47.6 per barrel. Rosneft Trading Company and Gazprom Neft will face a comprehensive trading ban.

Von der Leyen issued a statement announcing 19 rounds of sanctions against Russia (video screenshot)

¡°Russia¡¯s oil revenue in Europe has dropped by 90 percent over the past three years, and now we¡¯re going to turn this page completely over,¡± Von Drain said, adding that the EU is imposing ban on more Russian banks and banks in third countries, increasing its efforts to avoid sanctions.

¡°Therefore, our restrictions will be aimed at cryptocurrency platforms for the first time and prohibit cryptocurrency transactions,¡± she continued, ¡°we are listing foreign banks associated with Russian alternative payment services systems and restricting transactions with entities in the Special Economic Zone,¡± but she did not specify the countries to which these foreign banks belong.

According to the relevant EU procedures, a new round of sanctions must enter into force after the unanimous agreement of the 27 member states.

On the same day, Kallas further revealed that the EU proposed further measures against "important third-country actors such as China, which supports the Russian military industry."

The new sanctions will also further restrict Russia¡¯s access to technologies including artificial intelligence and geospatial data, as well as the resources of foreign suppliers for weapons production, including China and India.

Two EU diplomats told Politics News Network that after the ambassador-level meeting on the 19th afternoon, the EU could include about 12 Chinese entities and three Indian entities on the sanctions list, banning EU companies from trading with them.

A European Union official who refused to disclose the name said the sanctions aimed to ¡°stop the flow of money into¡± Russia, while the proposed gas ban was intended to ¡°permanently stop importing natural gas from unreliable suppliers.¡±

Dan Johansson, the EU¡¯s head of energy affairs, said the EU was ¡°ready¡± to take the ban ahead of time and that we have reduced demand for natural gas and invested in cleaner energy.¡±

It is worth noting that the Trump administration has repeatedly pressured Western allies to demand that the EU, G7 and even NATO impose tariffs of up to 100% on Chinese Indians buying Russian oil.

For a series of sanctions announced by von der Leyen, the U.S. research agency Atlantic Council noted that ¡°many of the measures appear to be to please U.S. President Trump,¡± and that it has taken a harsher stance on China and even India.

The South China Morning Post, an English-language media in Hong Kong, noted that these new sanctions will aggravate the tension between the EU and China, and the EU's past measures against Chinese companies once triggered a strong reaction from China.

In July this year, the EU included two Chinese financial institutions on the sanctions list in the 18th round of sanctions against Russia. China subsequently made a response, decided to include the two EU banks UAB Urbo Bankas and AB Mano Bankas on the counter-list, and took the following counter-measures: ban organizations and individuals in our territory from related transactions and cooperation with them.

In response to the EU¡¯s unreasonable sanctions, a spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce said that the EU, despite the multiple negotiations and objections of the Chinese side, went alone and continued to include some Chinese companies on the list in the 18th round of sanctions against Russia, and sanctioned two Chinese financial institutions with the accusations of ¡°necessity¡±.

The Ministry of Commerce has repeatedly objected to EU unreasonable sanctions (data map)

The spokesman stressed that China has consistently opposed unilateral sanctions without the basis of international law and without the authorization of the UN Security Council. The EU¡¯s approach is contrary to the spirit of consensus among China-European leaders and has a serious negative impact on China-European economic and trade relations and financial cooperation. China urges the European side to immediately stop listing the wrong practices of Chinese enterprises and financial institutions.

It is really embarrassing that the EU under von der Leyen ignores the mutually beneficial relationship between China and Europe and follows suit of the Trump administration.

It is worth mentioning that even the European Union¡¯s own interests are difficult for the European politician to truly defend.A recent study published on September 18 by the German Institute for Economic Studies in Cologne (IW) shows that the U.S. dependency on EU imports far exceeds the general perception of the outside world, which has increased significantly over the past decade.

The German media noted that this dependence should have been the negotiating capital of the EU, and the researchers were surprised that EU Commission President Von der Leyen spoke of just a 15% tax rate, "the EU could have negotiated tariffs with the United States with a tougher gesture."