Borrell: It's harder for EU to define its relationship with China than with Russia

Relations with China are a more complex political issue for the European Union than its relations with Russia, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said in an article published today in the Spanish newspaper El Pais, reported from TASS.

"How to deal with China is a political issue of the first order for the EU, more difficult than confronting Russia," he said. "Indeed, the political and economic systems of the EU are very different from both Russia and China."

According to Borrell, Beijing seeks to "build a new world order with the PRC at the center," becoming "by the middle of the century the world's first power."

"The EU must be aware that many countries see China's geopolitical influence as a counterbalance to the West and therefore to Europe," Borrell said. He believes that the European Union should reconsider its policy towards China for three reasons: "changes within China", "intensifying strategic competition between the US and China" and "the rise of China as a key player in regional and global problems."

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