Washington: – Former US official Clete Willems claimed that China has made a huge strategic blunder by imposing sanctions against the European Union and officials. Willems said that the European parliament cancelled the investment agreement with China after this, and there is no possibility of reviving it soon. Willems served as the Deputy Director of the US National Economic Council and Deputy Assistant to former President Donald Trump.
During an interview with the CNBC news channel, Willems claimed that the Chinese sanctions led to the killing of an important agreement between the European Union and China. There is no possibility of reinstating the deal in the near future. China could not give a satisfactory reply on the legal issue of using the workers as slaves. In that fit of anger, China took a provocative and out of the box action. This action proved to be a huge strategic blunder by China.
The former US official also added that China is a huge export market for the European countries. Therefore, the United States has always been apprehensive regarding the intensity of the European action against China. Willems said that although this gives proper indications, he would appeal to Europe to adopt a more aggressive stance. Last year, in December, European Union and China signed the ‘Comprehensive Agreement on Investment’. The European Parliament needed to approve the agreement for its implementation. But, last month, during its meeting, the European Parliament voted against it. The resolution takes an aggressive stand against the Chinese sanctions against the European officials.
The European Parliament warned that no discussions could be held with China, regarding the investment agreement, given the sanctions imposed by China. European Parliament also accused that the sanctions imposed by China on the European officials are a part of the policy of the monopolistic Chinese regime. The European parliament also lashed out at China over the issues of handling of human rights by China and the atrocities against the Uyghurs in the Xinjiang province, in sharp words.
In March, the European Union had announced sanctions against China over atrocities against the Uyghur people. China imposed sanctions against ten officials and four undertakings of the European Union in retaliation.
