Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned the European Union (EU) not to view China as a rival. His country is willing to see the EU as an important economic and trading partner. Xi said this at a summit in Beijing on Thursday (see video above).
At times he offered cooperation in science and technology, including artificial intelligence (AI). At Thursday’s summit in Beijing, dialogues on trade and the environment produced “rich results.” But the EU should not interfere. At the same time, Xi spoke of an “unexpected change” in the global political situation. China and the EU must work together for global stability and development.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU Council President Charles Michel and EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell also took part in the first face-to-face meeting between EU leaders and Chinese leaders in four years. They were also scheduled to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang during their one-day visit.
No appointments expected
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had already called on EU ambassadors on Monday to choose “peace and stability” over a “new Cold War”. A number of EU countries have tightened their policies towards authoritarian China. This year, for example, the German government adopted a strategy that sees the country more as a systemic rival than a partner. The Italian government recently withdrew from the Belt and Road Initiative promoted by Xi. The distortions of competition in the Chinese market, the Chinese threats against Taiwan and the close partnership with Russia are also criticized.
“Sometimes our interests coincide,” said Von der Leyen, referring, among other things, to cooperation in the field of climate policy. “And if they don’t agree, we need to address the concerns we have and deal with them responsibly.” The EU wants, among other things, to ensure that the government in Beijing uses its influence on Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
Source: Krone
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