Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte does not agree with China's policies towards Hong Kong and the Uyghur people.
The EU should address those topics but shouldn't penalize countries that don't live up to European standards, according to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
His comments in an interview are related to Europe's reassessment of individual and collective relations with China. The Dutch prime minister said that cutting ties with China won't help anyone in Hong Kong or the Uyghurs.
One of the reasons I think the EU should be more of a geopolitical powerhouse is because we have to develop our own policies towards China in close connection with the US.
According to EU data, the Netherlands was the largest importer of goods from China in 2011. Germany and Belgium are the country's biggest trading partners.
Due to China's reliance on ASML technology to build up its chip-making industry, trade relations between the two countries are sensitive. The company has not been granted an export license to send its machines to China.
The Central Planning Bureau warned of the high costs of a trade dispute with China.
Europe was alarmed by Russia's invasion.
Tensions have arisen in the relationship between the EU and Chinese. The EU's chief diplomat said after the April summit that the talks were a dialog of the deafness with China refusing to discuss the war in Ukraine, human rights or other issues.
As many as 1 million Uyghurs were sent to re-education camps in China under a state-sponsored forced-labor program. China has denied that it mistreated the Uyghurs and that it is trying to prevent insurrection.
The last time Rutte spoke to the Chinese premier was.
He said, "You can't close off relationships with countries that aren't living up to our standards."
Cagan Koc helped with the project.
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