US, EU Discuss India's Role in Indo-Pacific, China Concerns

Washington, Sep 12 (PTI) The US and the European Union as part of its dialogue on China have discussed the value of engagement with India in addressing global challenges, including in the maritime sphere, energy and connectivity in the Indo-Pacific.

Discussion on India was part of the two-day 'US-EU Dialogue on China' and the sixth meeting of the 'US-EU High-Level Consultations on the Indo-Pacific', here on September 9 and 10.

The dialogue was led by Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell from the US and European External Action Service (EEAS) Secretary General Stefano Sannino from the EU side.

“They discussed the value of the US and the EU's respective engagement with India on global challenges, on security, including in the maritime sphere, energy and connectivity in the Indo-Pacific. The United States and the European Union also discussed the latest developments in Bangladesh,” said a joint statement issued on September 11.

They discussed ongoing and increasing engagement in the Indian Ocean Region, including support for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).

During the meeting, Campbell and Sannino reiterated deep and increasing concern about China's exports of significant amounts of dual-use goods and items used by Russia on the battlefield against Ukraine and China-based companies' continued involvement in sanctions evasion and circumvention.

They recognised China's ongoing support for Russia's military-industrial base is enabling Russia to maintain its illegal war against Ukraine, which poses a threat to transatlantic as well as global security and stability.

They reiterated their expectation that China, as a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council, should act in support of international law, including the UN Charter, and recalled that any peace proposal in Ukraine must be based on the UN Charter and its principles, including respect for sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, and in line with continued efforts to uphold the international rules-based order.

According to the joint statement, the US and European Union both recognised the importance of balanced and fair economic relations with China and reiterated their commitments to rules-based, free and fair trade and to ensure a level playing field for their workers and companies.

“In this respect, the United States and the EU will both continue to actively address the challenges posed by China's non-market policies and practices, including overcapacity and economic coercion," the statement said.

"Both sides confirmed their intention to continue de-risking by investing in their resilience and reducing dependencies and vulnerabilities in strategic sectors, which fosters resilience to economic coercion. They also confirmed the importance of advancing the governance of critical and emerging technologies,” said the joint statement.

The two delegations also discussed the human rights situation in China, including recent respective engagement with China on this subject.

Both recognised the need for increased global awareness and decisive action to address continued human rights abuses by China, including in Tibet and Xinjiang.

“They underscored that China should effectively cooperate with the OHCHR, including towards the implementation of the recommendations of its assessment report on the human rights situation in Xinjiang, as well as with international human rights mechanisms,” the statement said.

Both the US and the EU underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, which is indispensable to international security and stability. They called for the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues through dialogue.

“They urged China to act with restraint in the Taiwan Strait and around Taiwan. They expressed opposition to any unilateral attempt to change the status quo, in particular by force or coercion. They expressed support for Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organisations,” said the joint statement.