Ursula von der Leyen urges EU to step up as China loses appeal in Global South

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for the European Union to step up and emerge as a solid alternative to China's economic endeavours that cater to countries that are a part of the Global South. Speaking at the G7 summit in the Japanese city of Hiroshima on Saturday, Von der Leyen said that the bloc should use the “window of opportunity” as “many countries of the Global South are looking for alternative funding options." 

She claimed that this is the ideal time to swipe right in, given how China's decade-old Belt and Road Initiative no longer appeals to nations that have had “bad experiences" with Beijing. “They took Chinese loans and ended up in a debt crisis," she said, adding that the EU must view this as a lucrative opportunity.

“We want to put a better offer on the table. If we are in a race, we are in a race to the top,” von der Leyen asserted, stating that the bloc is already working on 90 “flagship projects” across the globe under its Global Gateway investment scheme, RT News reported. 

G7 leaders release joint statement on China

The European Commission President's remarks come after G7 leaders released a joint statement on Saturday that touched upon China's growing influence, military interference, and human rights abuses. "We oppose China's militarisation activities in the region," the leaders said of the Beijing-Taipei conflict. 

In addition to that, they vowed to support a "free and open Indo-Pacific" and stand against any "unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coersion." "A growing China that plays by international rules would be of global interest. We are not decoupling or turning inwards. At the same time, we recognize that economic resilience requires de-risking and diversifying," read an excerpt from the joint statement.