Von der Leyen unveils new EU corporation for critical raw materials
The EU president says all measures will be used to adjust the relationship with China, and that dialogue with Beijing needs to produce results.
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UpdateWednesday, September 16, 2026 at 4:05 AM ET
Von der Leyen also announced plans to establish a European security council.
Ursula von der Leyen has announced plans for a new corporation dedicated to critical raw materials, part of a push to reduce the European Union's reliance on China for supplies it considers essential.
She said the EU would use all measures available to adjust its relationship with Beijing, and that dialogue with China needs to produce results.
The announcement comes as EU nations separately seek additional free carbon permits for industry amid competitiveness concerns, and follows a free trade deal between the EU and India that the European Commission has called the largest either side has signed.
Von der Leyen's plan fits a broader strategy of cutting dependency on China while keeping talks with Beijing open. Whether that produces real change depends on if China's willingness to talk turns into actual concessions on raw materials or trade terms. The move also runs alongside a separate track in Washington: Treasury Secretary Bessent has said he will meet China's He Lifeng this weekend for economic talks. With both the EU and the US pursuing China on parallel paths rather than a joint one, the net effect on EU-China relations, and on companies exposed to raw materials supply, remains unsettled.