EU, China must co-operate despite Ukraine

Mark O'Neill November 10, 2025 13:25

The European Union and China must find a way to work around the issue of the Ukraine war to co-operate on climate change, investment and other major issues, said a former senior French diplomat.

Maurice Gourdault-Montagne served as his country’s ambassador to Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany and China. He was speaking at a joint session on Friday at the Asia Society with Ronnie Chan, chairman of its Hong Kong branch.

“We insist that China condemn Russia (for its invasion of Ukraine). We cannot force it to. It will not, because of its dependence on Russian oil. Ukraine is the elephant in the room of EU-China relations,” he said.

The EU says that the invasion is an “existential threat” for Europe, since Russian President Vladimir Putin may attack EU countries if he conquers Ukraine.

Chan said that the EU was very selfish. “It is ridiculous for them to make such a demand. For China, energy security is an existential threat. If the U.S. were to block the Straits of Malacca (and block China’s oil imports), China would be on its knees in a few weeks. It can only rely on Russia for its energy.”

Ukraine says that Russia would not be able to continue its war without Chinese supplies of drones, machine tools, semi-conductors and other parts and components used to make weapons. Beijing denies supplying weapons and says it exports civilian products.

Beijing does not recognise as Russian Crimea and the other Ukrainian territories conquered by Moscow.

Gourdault-Montagne said that the EU and China had many common interests, in climate change and the economy. He said that he was confident the two sides would finally sign the Comprehensive

Agreement on Investment concluded in December 2020 but not signed due to differences over Xinjiang. “We want Chinese investment in Europe,” he said.

“We do not talk enough. Before Covid, there were 30,000 Chinese students in France. But now only a few thousand, and only a few hundred French students in China.”

This is what Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said about China in a speech last month: “ It is clear that our relations have become more distant and more difficult in the last few years. We have seen a very deliberate hardening of China's overall strategic posture for some time. And it has now been matched by a ratcheting up of increasingly assertive actions.

“How China continues to interact with Putin's war will be a determining factor for EU-China relations going forward. And of course, China itself has also taken a more assertive stance in its own neighbourhood. The show of military force in the South China Sea and East China Sea, and at the border with India, directly affect our partners and their legitimate interests.”

Brussels has complained about China’s industrial overproduction and its dumping of cheap steel in the EU market. In October 2024, it imposed tariffs of 45 per cent on imports of Chinese EVs.

Gourdault-Montagne also spoke about the document published after the Communist Party Central Commission meeting in October.

“The tone is assertive, inflexible, more competitive. It is the result of a long consultation within the party. It has a long vision, up to 2035 and 2049. China wants to be indispensable to the world economically and technologically. The EU should be part of this,” he said.

He said that the U.S. was no longer the country that saved Western Europe after World War Two and saved Asia by defeating Japan.

“The U.S. has lost responsibility for the world. There is no more that generation of leaders. It is becoming more and more detached, isolationist and hegemonism,” he said.

Gourdault-Montagne also spoke about how Paris has benefitted from Brexit. “When Britain left the EU, we lost 15 per cent of its GDP and 60 million consumers. But nature abhors a vacuum. We are promoting Paris.

“In competition with Amsterdam and Frankfurt, Paris has succeeded in attracting investment from the financial sector, including Barclays and JP Morgan. Paris is matching London as a financial centre,” he said.

The French government is paralysed by divisions among three major political blocs and is unable to pass measures to reduce its growing national debt.

Despite this, the foundations are still there, said Gourdault-Montagne. “We have R & D, infrastructure and education. France has a very close relationship with Germany and will play a role as more interconnected.”

Mark O'Neill

A Hong Kong-based writer, teacher and speaker.