World Merkel: Challenge with China is finding right balance between values and interests

BERLIN (Reuters) - Europe must stand up for its values in its dealings with China, but given the country's sheer population and economic importance, there will always be a trade-off between the EU's values and its interests, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said.

© Reuters/POOL FILE PHOTO: German Chancellor Merkel discuss coronavirus measures with federal state leaders

Merkel was speaking at an online conference of legislators from across the continent, in which several had demanded that she push for a tougher line on human rights violations in the country.

"We must define our own European interests, and this also includes common ground (with China) on foreign policy, on economic policy and digital policy and many more," she said.

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Merkel , who's been Germany's chancellor since 2005 and was the leader of the center- right Christian Democratic Union party from 2000 to 2018, said Merkel said that in the face of the rising geopolitical influence of populism and the military prowess of China and Russia, European nations banding

Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel wants to embark on a new phase in the European Union's relations with China . While the US continues to hike tariffs on Chinese products, Merkel is pushing for a European Last year the total trade volume between the EU and China was 605 billion euros.

"The challenge over the next years in relation to China lies in finding a good balance between fighting for our values and our interests."

China's stronger-than-expected economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic is complicating efforts by Merkel's government to diversify trade relations and become less dependent on Asia's rising superpower.

(Reporting by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Michael Nienaber)