The European Union wants “equal rules of competition” with China and avoids the risk of “dependency”, such as in energy, European Union President Ursula von der Leyen said, defending her stance on the issue during her visit in Washington.

“We don’t want a dependence like we had on Russia in terms of fossil forms of energy,” explained Mrs. von der Leyen during an interview organized yesterday Monday in Strasbourg by the European Newsroom, which includes several European news agencies. , including AFP.

“We don’t want to be dependent on raw materials, for example. Consequently, we are diversifying and strengthening our supply chains with like-minded partners (with the EU),” the Commission president continued, immediately after her visit to the US.

On her visit to the White House, she agreed with US President Joe Biden to “immediately” begin negotiations on a “targeted deal on strategic metals” in the energy transition to reduce dependence on Beijing.

But the position taken by the head of the European Commission in Washington made teeth gnash in the EU.

In matters of geopolitical order, “a mandate” is needed from member state leaders to take such positions and decisions, one European official scathed, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The European leaders seemed to seek in their talks in October to carve out their own path with regard to China and not to align with the US, to let themselves be dragged into a logic of “systematic conflict”, European sources recall.