{"id":7387,"date":"2021-03-25T08:52:32","date_gmt":"2021-03-25T08:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/?p=7387"},"modified":"2021-04-12T02:52:06","modified_gmt":"2021-04-12T02:52:06","slug":"interview-eu-ambassador-in-china-nicolas-chapuis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/interview-eu-ambassador-in-china-nicolas-chapuis\/","title":{"rendered":"EU ambassador to China, Nicolas Chapuis on the bloc’s new relationship with China"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nicolas Chapuis, the EU\u2019s ambassador in Beijing, on why the bloc is making progress in its relations with China, and why you won’t hear him using words like ‘decoupling’ or ‘containment’ any time soon<\/h2>\n

\u201cWe have gained relevance\u2026 we are talking to the boss now,\u201d Nicolas Chapuis tells CBBC<\/a> in an interview in early March.<\/p>\n

By the \u201cboss\u201d, Chapuis clearly means Xi Jinping himself. The Chinese leader has in recent times taken over from Premier Li Keqiang at high-level meetings between the EU and China, and is reportedly pushing for the two sides\u2019 recently agreed Comprehensive Deal on Investment<\/a> (CAI) to be ratified as soon as possible \u2013 an ambition shared by EU President Ursula Von der Leyen.<\/p>\n

For Ambassador Chapuis, Xi\u2019s involvement is an important win in itself: \u201cWe cannot be a second-grade power,\u201d he says. \u201cWe cannot be a geopolitical commission, and be relegated to State Council level.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Chapuis is aware of the growing difficulties in EU-China relations. We spoke shortly after the draft text of the EU-China CAI had its first outing in front of MEPs, with several voicing concerns over whether it is strong enough to effect real change in the way China runs its economy. As a result, the European Parliament\u2019s ratification of the CAI is far from a foregone conclusion.<\/p>\n

Yet for Chapuis the conclusion of the seven-year-long CAI negotiation, along with the recent entry into force of the Geographic Indicators Agreement signed last September, prove that \u201cafter years of promise fatigue, increasing gaps in what is said and what is done in China, [the EU] could deliver what it considers to be significant progress in the relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Chapuis believes European leaders have finally discovered how to work together on China<\/p><\/div>\n

Chapuis believes European leaders have finally discovered how to work together on China, with the final months of CAI negotiations showing the power and influence of the EU at its best. He cites the cooperation between French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as well as Ms Von der Leyen and EU Council president Charles Michel, which finally managed to herd the EU\u2019s 27 member states and China to conclude the 7 year-long-negotiation on 30 December 2020.<\/p>\n