The main goal of the European leaders' "strategic debate" on China on Friday was to prepare the EU's position for the EU-ASEAN summit, which will be held on December 14 in Brussels, said the head of the European Council, Charles Michel.
"We must always be firm and careful to defend (in relations with China) our principles to which we are deeply committed: democracy and fundamental freedoms," the head of the European Council said at a press conference at the end of a two-day summit of the European Union, at which relations with China were one of the central topics of the agenda.
The second important aspect for the EU, Michel called the goal of achieving "greater reciprocity, more balance, especially in the economic relations between China and the European Union." "This is work that we must conduct on all topics, and we will be determined to advance in this direction," the head of the European Council continued.
"And, thirdly, we also believe that it is necessary to start cooperation with China on global topics: climate change, health care issues, for example, which seem obvious," said Michel.
At the same time, he noted that the debate showed the European Council's clear will not to show naivety towards Beijing. The European Union has its own model that it would like to build in this relationship, Michel said.