This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.
Today, the Commission held its first High-level Digital Dialogue with China, in preparation of the videoconference between EU and Chinese Leaders on 14 September. Chaired by Executive Vice-President for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age, Margrethe Vestager, and the Vice Premier of China, Liu He, this online dialogue covered key issues such as Information and Communication Technologies standard setting, Artificial Intelligence, Product Safety of articles sold online, Digital Taxation, and Research and Innovation.
The Commissioners for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Mariya Gabriel, for Internal Market Thierry Breton, and for Justice Didier Reynders also participated in the discussions, alongside their Chinese counterparts Vice Ministers Wang Zhijun, Wang Lingjun, Huang Wei and Liao Min.
Executive Vice-President for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age, Margrethe Vestager, said: “This first High-level Digital Dialogue was held today in a constructive atmosphere. It shows the central role that digitisation plays in our economies and societies. Something we also have seen during the coronavirus pandemic. The EU and China will both play a role in defining how global technological developments will go forward. The dialogue is therefore necessary to foster cooperation, but also to address divergences we have, like on reciprocity, data protection and fundamental rights.”
Today’s High-level Digital Dialogue served to identify priorities in the digital transformation of both the EU’s and China’s economies, including areas where concrete progress is possible. During the talks, both sides updated each other on their ongoing approaches in the digital area, including by presenting views on topics where their approaches differ, in an open and frank manner. The Commission presented its digital strategy and stressed its priorities to promote reciprocity, fair competition and fundamental rights. The EU underlined the need to uphold a global, open, stable, peaceful and secure digital environment. Both sides agreed to continue their exchanges.
Background
At the 2020 EU-China summit in 22 June, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council Charles Michel stressed that the development of new digital technologies must go hand in hand with the respect of fundamental rights and data protection. The EU had also raised outstanding issues on cybersecurity and disinformation. The EU stands ready to cooperate with China based on principles of sustainability, reciprocity and level playing field.
The European Commission maintains an annual Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Dialogue with China at technical level, covering ICT and digital policies as well as regulatory issues, since 2009. ICT and digital economy are also closely linked with various EU-China trade and research related dialogues and cooperation activities, including Horizon 2020. In addition, the European External Action Service and the Commission co-chair an EU-China Cyber Taskforce founded in 2012 with the objective of enhancing exchanges on cyber issues.
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The PRC has identified for the world,the “gateway to enter PRC”, via ASEAN. As time passes,wage increases and the rise in cost of living,in urban agglomerations,will provide the impetus to outsource,and shift manufacturing,to ASEAN.Rising costs are a signal,of the obsolescence of the business model and technology – and the driver,to re-engineer the manufacturing value chain.
This outsourcing to ASEAN,will soak up the entire manufacturing capacity of ASEAN, boosting profits and wages in ASEAN nations.Chinese can partake in this wealth creation,in the ASEAN nations,as under:
Lending to ASEAN companies by Chinese Banks like CCB etc.
VC and PE stakes in ASEAN companies,with exits on the HKEX or NYSE
JV with ASEAN companies
Hence,there will be a continuous pipeline of transfer of technology and products from PRC to
ASEAN at a competitive cost,and with a stand-by financing fron Chinese Banks.
This will make the ASEAN people and the ASEAN governments DEPENDENT on PRC,and enable ASEAN to be partners in the PRC success story.Thereafter,excluding Nippon and South Korea,no other nation will ally with the Americans,and might also,not allow their ports,to be used by the US Navy – as the financial and economic loss,will be
tangible and huge – with no ostensible strategic benefits,to the ASEAN nations.
RCEP has knitted the ASEAN into the PRC garment.
Meanwhile PRC companies can focus on AI,Robotics and Nano to drive up the manufacturing value chain – with collaborations with EU companies and keep the Chinese skilled workers at the cutting edge of change.
Simultaneous with the above, the RCEP region (minus Nippon and Australia) can use the Yuan as the FX and even conclude agreements with OPEC or Saudis,and other Break Bulk Raw Material supply nations,to settle all purchases in Yuan (for the RCEP,as trading block).
History,Geneaology,Providence,Culture and Geography,have destined PRC and ASEAN,to be an integrated block.
What place does India have,in the block ? Even Mencius would not feed a rabid dog – as,in due course of time, you have to neuter it – which is a waste of time,cost and resources.
Nippon and Aussies bring in technical and management excellence (which India never had )
Pakistan HAS to be given a choice to join RCEP,on the thesis that any SEZ of PRC,or a ASEAN owned SEZ o/s ASEAN, with an investment of,in excess of say,USD 35 Billion,can be DEEMED to be an EXTENSION,of the RCEP.
The Path for EU manufacturers is as clear,as the white sand on a black clay beach.German manufacturers have to relocate to ASEAN,for manufacturing,and THEN export to PRC,else they will lose tarriff and non-tarriff costs,of at least 5-10%.
For those who complain about manufacturing regulations in PRC,and the costly and complex legal systems in PRC,the solution is to make in ASEAN,and seek legal redressal in ASEAN – and further,export their output to PRC.This will also secure the EU manufacturers,who wish to secure their assets,in democracies”.dindooo hindoo
The inevitable crisis of AI,Nano and Robotics,will make most humans redundant,even in EU manufacturing.The least the EU can do,is to offshore production to ASEAN,to crash the costs for EU consumers – so that,if the EU has to feed 200 million people (after they are rendered redundant),they can be fed at the lowest cost.
Only a fool in the EU,would ally with India.India is a bankrupt nation,and for those who talk of the Indian Market – what portion of the Indian Market, has been tapped by EU and USA together – and how long has it taken ?
The Fools in the EU are right that INDIANS DO NOT POSE A THREAT to the EU market (if they form a trading block or treaty with India),as they are inefficient and inept.
Does the EU need an impotent,incompetent and inefficient partner,to navigate the future ? If there is a Russia-EU stand off or a gas choke,what strategic leverage,will the Indians have ?
If the EU is PROTECTING its markets and industry, from the Chinese invasion,and thus,forfeiting unrestricted access for EU exporters to the market of PRC – that is a disaster -as the current manufacturing in EU,will ,in any case,becoine obsolete.