CHINA-EU SUMMIT ENDS IN DEBACLE by Pepe Escobar

  A long, long time ago, the EU (European Union) was sold as a new concept to the Europeans; to avoid future war, integrate markets, facilitate circulation and delegate responsibilities from nations back to local authorities. Who would have oppose such lofty goals? 

  But in reality, deeper dreams of former imperialism reborn were looming behind the project which after 70 years now represents almost the exact opposite of the original objectives. 

  Peace inside but promoting war at the border. Integration of the markets but at the price of over-regulations which negate the purpose. Easy circulation but mostly for illegal immigrants. And finally no delegation of power whatsoever but conversely extreme concentration in unellected administrative bodies who aim to lord over participating members and lesser countries around the world. And all this managed by second rate individuals like European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for whom lack of intelligence is the most polite description which can be used.  

  But once in a while, there is real work to do like having a discussion with China and lo, this merry coterie of bureaucrats jump on a plane all the way to the Imperial Palace of the Central Empire (中国) to go lecture the Chinese. 

  No prize for guessing how this went... 

CHINA-EU SUMMIT ENDS IN DEBACLE,  EUROPEAN DELEGATION LEAVES BEIJING EARLY

The EU delegation left the Chinese capital Beijing after the summit, which lasted less than a day, ended in complete failure.

According to the Australian magazine The Diplomat, the EU-China negotiations did not lead to a rapprochement, despite the transatlantic rift between the EU and the United States.

Reuters reports that the negotiations were very tense, especially on trade and Ukraine issues, and no agreement was signed. "The EU tried to talk to China from a position of strength."

The EU delegation was led by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas. China was represented in person by President Xi Jinping.

Some notes: in order to "talk from a position of strength" you actually need strength, and if at the helm of diplomacy there's the trifecta of those three clowns, failure is guaranteed.