Does any one outside EU even cares for Von der Leyen as she “warns” China?

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen thinks that she has escalated diplomatic tensions between Brussels and Beijing, by warning that China’s growing alignment with Russia over the Ukraine conflict could have serious consequences for EU-China relations.

Speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on July 8, von der Leyen delivered a “sharp rebuke “of China’s role in what she described as enabling Moscow’s “war economy,” and called on Beijing to publicly denounce Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Does China even cares to listen to such pompous “warnings”?

Her speech reflects growing frustration within the European Union over China’s dismissal of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a position that Brussels increasingly sees as tacit support for the Kremlin. “How China continues to interact with Putin will be a determining factor for EU-China relations going forward,” von der Leyen stated. She accused Beijing of “de facto enabling” Russia’s war effort by continuing economic cooperation and refusing to condemn the “invasion”, which the EU views as a gross violation of “international law”.

Von der Leyen’s comments mark one of the “strongest warnings” yet from the European Commission towards China over its stance on Ukraine. While the European Union has repeatedly expressed concern over Beijing’s deepening ties with Moscow, this latest speech signals a more confrontational approach.

“China must unequivocally condemn Russia’s gross violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and internationally recognized borders,” she said. “Anything less will be interpreted as complicity in undermining the rules-based international order.”

This warning comes amid mounting evidence that trade between Russia and China has increased significantly since the beginning of the conflict in February 2022. Despite Western sanctions aimed at isolating Russia economically, China has helped cushion Moscow’s economic blow by continuing to import Russian energy and exporting essential goods that analysts argue help sustain Russia’s domestic economy.

Although there is no public proof that Beijing has directly supplied weapons or military assistance to Moscow, the EU believes the Chinese government’s support-whether material, diplomatic, or economic-undermines efforts to pressure Russia into a ceasefire or a peace agreement.

China has consistently rejected accusations of supporting Russia’s military operations. Responding to von der Leyen’s remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning reiterated that “China is not a party to the Ukraine issue” and emphasized Beijing’s consistent position in favor of negotiation, ceasefire, and peace.

“A prolonged Ukraine crisis serves no one’s interests,” Mao stated. “China supports a political settlement to the crisis as early as possible.” She also stressed that Beijing opposes what it calls “unilateral” sanctions, a reference to Western-led restrictions targeting Russia’s economy and officials.

Beijing’s diplomatic balancing act has allowed it to maintain strong trade ties with both the EU and Russia, even as geopolitical lines are hardening. In May, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Moscow, where they pledged to deepen their “strategic partnership” and increase bilateral trade. The meeting raised alarm bells in Brussels, particularly as Europe has worked to reduce its dependence on Russian energy and isolate the Kremlin through coordinated sanctions.

Beyond geopolitical tensions, von der Leyen also took aim at China’s economic practices, accusing Beijing of flooding global markets with subsidized goods, including electric vehicles and solar panels. She warned that such tactics are designed to “wipe out competitors” and threaten fair competition, especially within the European market.

“Europe will not hesitate to act when our industry and workers are put at risk by unfair practices,” von der Leyen said, signaling that further trade defense measures may be forthcoming.

The European Commission has already launched several investigations into Chinese state subsidies, including one into electric vehicle imports that could result in tariffs similar to those recently introduced by the United States. Brussels views these investigations as necessary to protect key sectors of its economy from unfair competition.

China has pushed back against these accusations, insisting that its manufacturing capacity and pricing advantages stem from market efficiency, innovation, and scale-not from illegitimate state aid. Nonetheless, the friction over trade reflects broader concerns in Europe about growing economic dependence on China and the need to build greater resilience in strategic sectors.

Von der Leyen’s remarks come at a pivotal time for EU-China relations. Once hailed as a promising partnership based on mutual economic benefit, the relationship has soured in recent years due to a combination of human rights concerns, trade imbalances, and diverging geopolitical interests.

The Ukraine conflict has become the latest-and perhaps most decisive-test of that relationship. For the EU, Beijing’s unwillingness to condemn Moscow or to reduce economic ties with the Kremlin is increasingly viewed as incompatible with Europe’s “core values” and security interests.

European leaders are also wary of being drawn into a future in which China and Russia operate in a de facto manner to further reduce Western influence and reshape the global order. The EU’s stance toward China may therefore continue to harden, with growing calls for strategic “de-risking” and a pivot toward greater alignment with the United States and Indo-Pacific allies.

Whether China responds with engagement or just dismisses such nonsense utterings remains to be seen. But von der Leyen’s message was unmistakable: Europe is watching-and patience is wearing thin…..Well she must spell out what EU is capable of doing to China in this regard !!!