Von der Leyen softens tone as EU seeks China's help on Ukraine war and climate

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Despite frictions on trade and geopolitics that hang over their bilateral ties, leaders from the European Union and China vowed to work together to tackle global challenges on Wednesday, a day after US President Donald Trump ridiculed the “green scam” of climate change.

Europe wants to work more with China on climate and biodiversity, even as it called on Beijing to help “stop the killing in Ukraine”, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen following a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Li, meanwhile, called for the “two important poles” to “demonstrate responsibility, maintain strategic independence” as they navigate a world that “is undergoing new and complex changes, with increasing instability and uncertainty”, according to a readout published by Xinhua.

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Von der Leyen, who has taken the European Union’s China policies in a more assertive direction in recent years, used a softer-than-usual tone in a statement in which she called on Beijing to “engage with us in a spirit of mutual understanding” in addressing the bloc’s many trade concerns.

“Europe’s concerns regarding export controls, market access, and overcapacity are well known. I appreciate China’s willingness to engage with us in a spirit of mutual understanding,” said the German official.

Von der Leyen has previously used less diplomatic language when describing Beijing’s restrictions on the export of rare earth minerals, which have driven some European manufacturers to pause production.

In a speech at the G7 meeting in June, she accused China of using a “quasi-monopoly not only as a bargaining chip, but also weaponising it to undermine competitors in key industries”.

At the subsequent EU-China Summit in Beijing in July, the sides announced an alert system to notify authorities when licenses required for the minerals’ exports are not flowing. EU sources have said that this has not delivered results, but there was no allusion to that in von der Leyen’s comments.

Having previously said that China is “de facto enabling Russia’s war economy… we cannot accept this”, von der Leyen again used more conciliatory language as she appealed to Li to use Beijing’s influence over Moscow to end the war.

“I welcomed Premier Li’s statement that both Europe and China share an interest in maintaining world peace. I explained Europe’s commitment to cutting off the revenue streams that fuel Russia’s war,” von der Leyen said in a statement, after their meeting.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in New York on Wednesday. Photo: Xinhua alt=Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in New York on Wednesday. Photo: Xinhua>

“I expressed my request to China to use its influence to help bring an end to the killing and encourage Russia to go to the negotiating table. The time for diplomacy is now. It would send a strong signal to the world,” she added.

The shift in tone comes a day after Trump called Europe out for its climate and migration policies, and for continuing to purchase Russian energy products. “Your countries are going to hell,” Trump told leaders gathered on Tuesday.

By contrast, von der Leyen welcomed “China’s willingness to contribute to global climate goals across all sectors, deliver on the Paris Agreement, and deepen our bilateral cooperation in low-carbon development. I also welcomed China’s commitment to carbon pricing”.

Both leaders called for efforts to rebuild trust, which has been shattered over recent years. In Europe, China is broadly seen to have provided financial and rhetorical support for Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, while von der Leyen has frequently accused Beijing of “weaponising” trade dependencies.

For over a year, the EU and China have teetered on the brink of a spiralling trade dispute. Following Brussels’ move to slap anti-subsidy duties on Chinese-made electric vehicles last October, Beijing responded with tariffs on European pork and brandy.

Hinting at the trade grievances between the sides, Li called for the EU to “fulfil its commitment to maintaining open trade and investment markets, uphold fair competition and WTO rules, and avoid politicising or securitising economic and trade issues”.

Earlier on Wednesday, Li announced that China would no longer avail itself of its “developing country” status at the World Trade Organization, which granted it special rights reserved for poor nations. This was a long-term demand of Europe, which has accused Beijing of abusing the system to obscure its use of state subsidies.

Olof Gill, the EU’s trade spokesman, applauded the move but urged China to go further.

“We welcome China’s decision to no longer avail itself of developing country status in future trade agreements. But I would also recall that we firmly believe China should stop availing itself of developing country status under existing agreements,” Gill told reporters on Wednesday.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.