With the European
Union (EU) slamming China for its stance on Russia’s ‘invasion’ of Ukraine,
Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday that he hopes the EU can form its view
on China independently, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported. Xi’s comment
came during a meeting with the president of the European Commission Ursula von
der Leyen and the president of the European Council Charles Michel.

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The EU and the
United States have largely been on the same page with regard to Vladimir Putin’s
‘special military operation’ in Ukraine. China is concerned that the US’ perspective
on China will spill into how the EU views the second-largest economy in the
world. Previously, China has called upon the EU to “exclude external interference”
from its relations with China.

At Friday’s
summit, Xi told EU leaders that China and the European Union should communicate
more on issues of significance concerning their bilateral relations as well as
world peace. China and Europe should provide stability in a volatile world,
CCTV quoted the Chinese president saying.

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The meeting
between Xi and the EU leaders was the first China-EU summit in two years. Leaders
of the European Union asked Xi to not allow Moscow to circumvent Western
sanctions imposed due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“We called on
China to help end the war in Ukraine. China cannot turn a blind eye to Russia’s
violation of international law,” Charles Michel, the EU Council president, told
the media accompanied by the EU Commission president.

He further said
that any attempts to circumvent sanctions on Russia would prolong the war.

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China and Russia
have forged closer ties over the last few years. Only a couple of days ago,
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov and said
Moscow and Beijing are “more determined” to develop bilateral ties and boost
cooperation.

The two leaders
also condemned the West for illegal and counterproductive sanctions imposed on
Moscow over its actions in Ukraine.