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The European Union should not cut ties with China at a time when Beijing's influence in the international arena is growing, EU foreign policy leader Josep Borrell said on Tuesday. 

Speaking to the European parliament, Borell said communication channels should not be endangered and contacts with China should not be broken off.

Oddly, just days ago, Borrell announced that the EU does not fear China’s rise and urged Beijing to practice "responsibility" to achieve peace and security. The diplomat was scheduled to visit China from April 13 to April 15 but a positive covid test forced him to reschedule.

Borell remarked that China's influence around the globe was growing and that many issues cannot be solved unilaterally without the cooperation of Beijing.

The senior EU diplomat outlined four major concerns for the EU to examine in its dealings with Beijing: core principles, the economy, the Taiwan issue, and the Ukrainian war. 

China was the EU's largest trading partner in 2021. The economic relations between the two led to a $248.3 billion deficit on Europe’s part.

However, Borrell cautioned that the EU "would be unable to develop normal relations with China if Beijing does not use its leverage on Russia." 

In the same speech to the European Parliament, Borrell stated that the EU's foreign ministers will examine the bloc's ties with China at their next meeting on April 24, with the goal of revising the 2019 EU-China Strategic Outlook to reflect the current world agenda.