00:00Carl Falkenberg is a former trade and environment official at the European Commission.
00:05We are living times of disruptive changes for the moment when it comes to the international system.
00:13We're moving away from rule-based UN, WTO, other international organizations,
00:21structured world to one that looks more hemispherically developed.
00:26And Europe is clearly obliged to find its own position in that order.
00:35We have constantly argued that we are in favor of multilateral rule-based systems.
00:41So I guess part of Friedrich Merz's visit to China is to sound out the possibilities
00:49to continue to work on a more rule-based multilateral system
00:56rather than falling back into what I would almost call hemispheric division of the planet.
01:03Well, Merz's repeated de-risking, not decoupling.
01:07I mean, after these meetings with Xi and with Premier Li,
01:10do you think that concept looks clearer or is it simply more politically necessary?
01:17I think for the moment it is essentially a sounding mission.
01:23It's Merz's first visit to China as chancellor.
01:29And therefore, I think he's going to sound what he hears.
01:38Because there are issues where within the European Union concerns also in relation to China have been identified.
01:49They are partly related to trade.
01:52They're partly investment related.
01:54But geopolitical considerations also are at stake.
01:58So there is a broad agenda and Europe is literally trying to define where and with whom it can cooperate
02:09on the basis of rules negotiated multilaterally rather than sheer power.
02:17Premier Li stressed stability opposing protectionism.
02:20So in practical terms for China, what does China secure from closer coordination with Europe
02:28and with Germany in particular right now?
02:30Well, we remain two very important markets to each other.
02:36Important investment relation.
02:40Europe is investing substantially in China.
02:44China is investing in Europe.
02:46So I think there are there are elements on which to to build a solid relationship.
02:55We have disequilibria in our relations.
02:58And I think these imbalances will also be addressed.
03:03And we need to we need to understand how we can handle those.
03:07And these imbalances are not just bilateral EU China, but they are they are also affected by what other
03:17major players like the United States are doing because we all understand trade deflection.
03:24What cannot be sold in the U.S. is seeking other markets on the planet.
03:29And the European market is one of those.
03:31But that has negative effects for Europe.
03:34A huge part.
03:34Like you can see.千
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