China and the European Union Hold the 13th Round of High-level Strategic Dialogue
ALDAR/
Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held the 13th round of China-EU High-level Strategic Dialogue in Brussels with High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Commission Kaja Kallas.
Wang Yi said that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, as well as the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. The upcoming China-EU Summit has attracted much attention. Over the past 50 years, China-EU relations have weathered many storms and overcome numerous obstacles. Only by comprehensively reviewing the path the two sides have travelled can they correctly chart the course ahead. The development of China-EU relations shows that the two sides should regard each other as partners, not rivals, and that cooperation remains the keynote and ballast. The two sides should properly handle differences through communication within this framework. There is no fundamental conflict of interests between China and the EU, but rather extensive common interests. Both sides support multilateralism and open cooperation, uphold the central role of the United Nations and greater democracy in international relations, and are committed to resolving disputes peacefully through dialogue. Faced with rising uncertainties and instabilities in the international landscape, China and the EU, as two major forces and two major economies, should step up exchanges, deepen understanding, enhance mutual trust and advance cooperation, so as to jointly uphold the post-war international order and provide much-needed certainty to the world. China is ready to work with the EU to ensure positive outcomes of the upcoming China-EU Summit and to chart the course for the future development of China-EU relations.
Wang Yi stressed that China’s diplomacy carries forward the harmonious gene of the Chinese civilization and advocates for peace, inclusiveness and cooperation. China is the major country with the best track record with regard to peace and security. China is different from the United States, so the path the U.S. has taken should not be projected onto China. The historical and cultural backgrounds and values of China and the EU are different, but differences should not be seen as reasons to view each other as adversaries, nor should disagreements lead to confrontation. Today’s Europe faces various challenges, but these challenges have not come from China in the past, present, or future. The two sides should respect and learn from each other, pursue common development and progress, and make new contributions to human civilization. The Chinese side hopes that the EU will truly develop an objective and rational understanding of China and pursue a more positive and pragmatic policy toward China.
Wang Yi emphasized that as comprehensive strategic partners, the most important aspect for China and the EU is respecting each other and accommodating each other’s core interests. China has always supported European integration, and supported the EU in enhancing its strategic autonomy and playing a constructive role in international affairs. Wang Yi expressed the hope that the EU will also respect China’s core interests with concrete actions. The Taiwan question bears on China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 once and for all resolved the issue of the representation of the whole of China, including Taiwan, in the United Nations from both factual and legal perspectives. Wang Yi hopes that the EU will earnestly abide by the one-China principle.
Kaja Kallas said that the EU and China are partners, and the two sides share common responsibilities and exert significant influence on major issues such as supporting the leading role of the United Nations and upholding international law and the international order. The EU remains committed to the one-China policy and is willing to work with China to make good preparations for the upcoming China-EU Summit, enhance mutual understanding through candid communication, develop a more constructive EU-China relationship, and carry out more balanced and fairer economic and trade cooperation.
The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the Iranian nuclear issue.
