(TibetanReview.net, Jun16’21) – The European Union and the United States have said Jun 15 that they were systemic rivals of China when it came to the “ongoing human rights violations in Xinjiang and Tibet, the erosion of autonomy and democratic processes in Hong Kong; economic coercion; disinformation campaigns; and regional security issues.”
The remark is contained in a joint declaration at the end of a summit in Brussels between the two sides.
While the EU was represented by the President of the European Council Charles Michel and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, President Joe Biden represented the US.
The declaration spoke of “our respective similar multi-faceted approaches” to Beijing, which include “elements of cooperation, competition, and systemic rivalry.”
“When it comes to human rights and human dignity we are systemic rivals. We have to speak out on that and it is very clear that it is the main issue that clearly divides us,” the International Campaign for Tibet (Washington) Jun 17 quoted von der Leyen as saying at a press conference after the summit.
