China opening up to bring new opportunities for China-EU cooperation: Wang Yi

Beijing: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell in Vientiane, Laos this week.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee has drawn a new blueprint for further deepening reforms in a comprehensive manner and advancing Chinese-style modernization.

China’s high-quality development and high level of opening up will also bring new opportunities for China-EU cooperation, Wang added.

The consensus between China and the EU far outweighs the differences, Wang said, noting that a healthy, stable and sustainable China-EU relationship is in the fundamental interests of both sides and is also the common expectation of the international community.

He added that China and the EU should stay committed to the partnership, keep to the overall direction of cooperation, respect the will and choices of their respective people, dialogue on an equal footing, enhance understanding, and cope with the uncertainty of the international situation with the stability of China-EU relations.

Wang said China will, as always, support the European integration and the EU on maintaining strategic autonomy. The Chinese side hopes that the new EU leadership will pursue a rational and pragmatic policy towards China, look at China’s development in an objective and friendly way, and realize a smooth transition in China-EU relations.

Wang said the EU’s anti-subsidy investigations into China’s electric vehicles is typical trade protectionism and is not conducive to global green transformation.

It is hoped that the two sides will find a reasonable solution through dialogue and consultation to jointly safeguard the free trade system and economic globalization, Wang noted.

Borrell said the EU attaches importance to Europe-China relations and maintains an independent policy towards China, noting that the EU is willing to maintain communication with China for the two sides to better understand their respective positions.

The EU is not involved in curbing China’s development and is happy to see China’s rise, and hopes to share mutual concerns with China openly and frankly, and develop a balanced Europe-China economic and trade relationship, Borrell said.

The EU has always maintained that Taiwan is not a country and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing the whole of China, said Borrell, adding that the EU will continue to pursue the one-China policy.

The EU attaches importance to the peace initiative of China and Brazil on the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, congratulates China for promoting the reconciliation of Palestinian factions, and is willing to work with China to promote peace, said the EU official.

Wang, the Chinese foreign minister, elaborated on China’s principled position on the Ukraine crisis, saying that the most urgent task is to cool down the situation, and that China has always insisted on urging peace and promoting talks and a political solution.

The Chinese side supports the EU in playing a leading role in exploring a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture, Wang said.