Hilde Vautmans, a Belgian member of the European Parliament, a legislative body of the European Union (EU), said the relationship between the EU and China should be centered around reciprocal privilege and regard for rules and human rights. Vautmans shared her statement in a post on X, after Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.
"We must continue to engage with China on global challenges such as climate change," said Vautmans. "And we must not decouple our economic relationship. But our relation should be based on rules, reciprocity and respect for human rights."
De Croo spent two days visiting Chinese leaders in Beijing amidst tensions between the EU and China over issues including the Russia-Ukraine conflict and economic disagreements, Politico reported. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed hope that Belgium could help to strengthen ties between Europe and China, in light of Belgium's recent appointment to head the presidency of the EU Council. "I hope Belgian diplomats in China will continue to work as a bridge and as a bond," Wang told De Croo during the visit.
Vautmans was elected to serve in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives in 2003, according to Politico. She won a seat in the European Parliament in 2014. She joined the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee as well as its delegation to NATO.
In the United States, policymakers from both political parties have increased calls for "reciprocity" with China, Federal Newswire previously reported. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said, in 2023, that reciprocity is needed in United States-China business relations. "That means allowing American companies to compete as freely in China as Chinese companies are able to compete in America," Schumer said. "I made clear to President Xi that we do not believe there is a level playing field or reciprocity now."
In October, U.S. Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) introduced the bipartisan True Reciprocity Act of 2023, which would direct the Secretary of State and other relevant federal departments and agencies to submit a report to Congress detailing the differences in the ways that journalists, businesses, nongovernmental organizations, diplomats, and other officials are treated in China compared to in the United States, according to a copy of the bill. The legislation would direct the agencies to outline a strategy on how to address the imbalances the report identified within 180 days of the bill's enactment. The bill states that U.S. policy should prioritize the principle of reciprocity in its relationship with China, defining "reciprocity" as "the mutual and equitable exchange of privileges between governments, countries, businesses, or individuals."
