Le Maire Urges EU Adopt a United Stance on China Before Summit

The European Union must defend its values and adopt a unified position on dealing with China before the trade bloc holds a summit this week with Asia’s biggest economy, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told a German newspaper.

“The priority for the EU must be to develop a common stance. It doesn’t have that at the moment,” Le Maire told Welt am Sonntag. “The EU has to define its own interests, has to be strong and independent -- from both China and the U.S. This is crucial to be successful in the 21st century.”