Beijing (Eurotoday) – Speaking on Wednesday, Lin Jian, the spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, denied EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s remarks on China’s “pattern of dominance, dependency and blackmail” and charges that it uses its “quasi-monopoly” of rare earths to “undermine competitors in key industries.”
Just a day ago, during the G7 summit, Ursula von der Leyen stated that the root of the “greatest collective problem” in the global trading system can be traced back to China’s entry into the World Trade Organisation in 2001. She also criticised Beijing for continuing a “pattern of dominance, dependency and blackmail” towards its trading partners.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said her comments
“disregard facts and are riddled with bias and double standards. China expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition.”
He also argued that the
“so-called overcapacity narrative is essentially due to related countries’ concerns about their competitiveness and market share, using it as an excuse to implement protectionist measures.”
He maintained that Beijing will continue to offer EU businesses broad market access and growth opportunities, and remains willing to enhance communication and coordination with the European Union.
Why did von der Leyen criticise China’s trade conduct?
Using language that seemed to be tailored to Donald Trump’s agenda, Ursula von der Leyen used her participation in the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada, to warn against a “new China shock” and condemn Beijing for continuing what she described as a “pattern of dominance, dependency, and blackmail” with regard to its trading partners.
“China is using this quasi-monopoly not only as a bargaining chip, but also weaponising it to undermine competitors in key industries,”
The president of the European Commission said during one of the meeting’s thematic sessions.
“We all witnessed the cost and consequences of China’s coercion through export restrictions,”
Comments
10 responses to “China Criticizes Von der Leyen’s Comments on Rare Earths”
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Just what we needed, a masterclass in diplomatic wordplay from the EU! 🤔 Maybe next time, Von der Leyen should consider a career in theatre—her performance on China’s rare earths could win a few awards! 🎭💼
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Seems like China missed the memo on the whole “take a hint” thing—who knew calling out a quasi-monopoly could ruffle so many feathers? 🤔 Maybe next time they’ll try a little less “dominance” and a bit more “team player” vibes, eh? 😏
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Seems like Lin Jian missed the memo on how to throw shade; maybe he should stick to rare earths instead of rare diplomacy. 🙄 Alright, mate, call it what you will, but it’s hard to play the victim when you’re holding all the cards! 🃏
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Oh, lovely, another diplomatic tête-à-tête—who knew rare earths could stir such a ruckus? Next, they’ll be sending each other gift baskets of rare minerals to smooth things over, right? 😂
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Oh sure, let’s all pretend that China isn’t the ultimate gatekeeper of rare earths. It’s like saying a cat doesn’t play with a mouse before dinner. 😏
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Oh, look, it seems that China is just a tad upset about being called out for their trade tactics. Who knew a “quasi-monopoly” could ruffle so many feathers? 😂
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Looks like Lin Jian missed the memo on how “domination” and “blackmail” are just fancy European terms for “business as usual.” 😂 Such a shame that diplomacy can’t come with a side of truth!
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Looks like China’s throwing a proper tantrum over Ursula’s tea-spilling on their rare earths monopoly. Who knew their diplomacy handbook had a chapter on “Strongly Dismissing the Obvious”? 😂
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Oh, brilliant! Just what we needed—another diplomatic spat over who’s holding the monopoly on rare earth tantrums. Guess the trade game’s turned into a high-stakes soap opera, eh? 😂
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Oh, look at that! China’s not too chuffed about being called out for playing the monopoly game with rare earths. Maybe next time, Ursula can sing them a lullaby about fair play while they’re at it! 😏
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