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Kaja Kallas’ debut as EU High Representative: Brussels sanctions Chinese firms for the first time

Sanctions against four companies accused of supplying technology to Russia. Expert Marco Mayer comments on the possible geopolitical implications

Kaja Kallas’ first day as the new EU High Representative for Foreign Policy is marked by a significant turning point: for the first time since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, Brussels has decided to impose sanctions on four Chinese companies accused of supplying advanced technology, including microelectronic components, to Russia. These devices were allegedly used in the production of drones used by Moscow in the conflict against Kiev. Three other Chinese companies are accused of facilitating the circumvention of sanctions through the involvement of third countries.

The news was commented on by geopolitics expert and professor at Luiss, Marco Mayer, who stressed the importance of this decision. ‘It is a crucial moment for international relations. Almost three years after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Union has sanctioned Chinese companies for the first time,’ Mayer said.

China, which until now had denied any military support to Russia, is now at a complex crossroads, especially in a changing geopolitical context, also in light of the recent fall of the Assad regime in Syria. According to Mayer, Beijing will have to decide whether to continue with its current strategic alignment with Russia, Iran, and North Korea, or instead choose to reopen a more constructive dialogue with the European Union.

‘The only way for Beijing to improve its relations with Brussels,’ Mayer adds, ’would be to exert strong pressure on the Kremlin to stop the bombings and attacks against civilians and energy infrastructure in Ukraine.’

This decision by the European Union could mark a turning point in relations between Europe and China, with possible repercussions not only on a commercial level, but also on a political and strategic level. European foreign policy thus seems to want to draw a clear line against those who support, even indirectly, the conflict in Ukraine.

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