Second Thoughts? Why EU is Hesitant on China

NEW DELHI: A trade deal between the European Union and China that was clinched after seven years of negotiations has now been put on hold by the EU parliament. This after China sanctioned a host of EU officials in retaliation for sanctions imposed by the EU on four Chinese officials over human rights abuses in Xinjiang. So, what next? The deal won’t be ratified, that’s for sure, says Velina Tchakarova, Director of the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy. Speaking to StratNews Global Editor-in-Chief Nitin A. Gokhale, Tchakarova said she expected no forward movement at least for a year, till new governments take charge in Germany and France. But according to her, the EU’s ties with India will improve rapidly as the Europeans see India as a regional counterweight to China, given their strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific.