On 11 March, the European Union and China held their 14^th annual consultations on security and defence in Beijing.

The EU and China exchanged their respective assessments on regional security issues in Europe, focusing on Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and the military support provided to Russia by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea that is in direct violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

The EU recalled its commitment to supporting Ukraine with whatever it takes to prevail, stressing that the respect for the principles of the UN Charter, Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity remained the basis of any settlement. The EU also conveyed that China’s positioning on the war continues to affect the EU-China relationship.

The EU and China also exchanged views on regional security issues in the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific, including in the South China Sea and Taiwan. The EU underlined its concerns regarding increasing tensions in regional hotspots, and stressed its commitment to promote security and stability with its partners in the Indo-Pacific.

In spite of diverging views and different assessments on strategic and security issues, they both valued the candid exchanges that took place.

The consultations were co-chaired by Benedikta von Seherr-Thoss, Managing Director for Peace Security and Defence at the European External Action Service on the European Union side, and by Major General Yao Qin, Deputy Chief of Office for International Military Cooperation on the Chinese side.

Background

To advance its interests and uphold its values, the European Union engages with China on a wide range of issues in accordance with the multi-faceted policy approach set out in the March 2019 Joint Communication of the European Commission and the High Representative “EU-China: A Strategic Outlook”. This includes talking about security and defence issues and addressing their differences, as China is an increasingly active global actor with growing military capabilities.