Dose of realism what EU needs to approach China

The 13th round of China-EU High-Level Strategic Dialogue, co-chaired by European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and visiting Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Brussels this week, provides the two sides with an opportunity to hold face-to-face communication at a critical juncture of bilateral ties.

China's stance on the Ukraine crisis and its rare earths export policy are among the EU's major China-related concerns, while China has urged the EU to cancel the discriminatory tariffs it has slapped on Chinese-made electric vehicles, and advance negotiations on the bilateral investment treaty that has long been stalled by Brussels.

Whether the dialogue can help "enhance mutual understanding, build trust, and lay political groundwork for future interactions between Chinese and EU leaders", as is hoped, hinges on whether the EU can properly handle China-related issues with more realism.