US President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are expected to meet next week to discuss the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and pending issues in China.
On the 3rd (local time), the EU announced that von der Leyen, who is on a trip to North America, will meet with President Biden at the White House on the 10th.
Regarding Commission President von der Leyen’s visit to the United States, the EU said, “EU-US cooperation on global and geopolitical priorities will be at the center of discussions.” We will discuss ways to ensure cooperation between the two sides on securing it.”
The biggest issue at this meeting seems to be the IRA.
The IRA stipulates that the subsidy be paid only if the electric vehicle is assembled in North America and the key mineral in the battery is from North America or is produced or processed in a country that has a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States. As a result, there are complaints that the EU, which is not an FTA partner country with the US, is excluded from subsidies.
However, at a press conference held after a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron in December of last year, President Biden hinted at the possibility of amendment to the IRA, saying, “There may be deficiencies that require adjustment and change.”
Accordingly, some observers say that the US and EU may reach an agreement on the IRA in the wake of the meeting with von der Leyen.
The US gave a principled answer to the possibility of an agreement. When asked if an agreement regarding the IRA could be reached through a meeting with Executive Director von der Leyen, White House spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre said at a briefing that day, “I don’t want to get ahead of myself.”
“We’ve been clear about how important we value the IRA,” he said. “The president will never give up on putting American jobs and leadership at the center of his governance strategy.”
He added, “The benefits of the IRA go beyond the United States to other countries,” and “this is why President Biden fought with all his might for this bill.”
The meeting is also expected to discuss the possibility of China’s military support for the war in Ukraine and countermeasures.
Spokesman Jean-Pierre said in a statement issued the day before that President Biden and Executive Chairman von der Leyen would “discuss other issues, including cooperation to respond to challenges by China.”
The U.S. and European countries have recently raised concerns about the possibility of China providing lethal weapons to Russia and openly voiced warnings.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.