Vigenin in Strasbourg: EU-China relations must be built on dialogue

“Our relations with China cannot be reduced to a choice between confrontation and appeasement. Europe must be firm where our interests and values are at stake – human rights, fair competition and the protection of our industrial base. But firmness should not mean closing the door to dialogue.” This was stated by Bulgarian MEP Kristian Vigenin, of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, during the debate in Strasbourg on the report on political relations between the EU and China, which the European Parliament adopted. The document focuses on the trade imbalance, strategic dependencies, human rights, Taiwan and Beijing’s support for Russia.

An independent European approach and dialogue

Vigenin told his colleagues that China is too important a global player for Europe to afford not to talk to it. “We need an independent European approach – principled, realistic and based on our own interests, instead of automatically following the policies of others. That means stating our differences clearly while identifying the areas where cooperation can bring concrete results,” he stressed. In the MEP’s view, artificial intelligence is one of those areas. “The EU and China are among the main players in the development of AI, and we have a common interest in discussing its safety, standards, transparency and responsible use,” he said. He noted that both sides support the rules-based international order and a strong role for the UN. In his view, this could serve as a basis for applying the same logic to the relationship more broadly.

Why Vigenin voted against the report

“Europe must be open, independent and constructive. Our draft report sounds like a declaration of war” – this is how Kristian Vigenin assessed the document. He voted against it and urged his colleagues not to support it.