China’s foreign minister told the EU that Beijing should not be compared with the US and that the bloc "won’t face any challenge" from his nation, striking a reassuring tone amid higher US tariffs and the continuing Russia-Ukraine war.
Wang Yi made the comments on Wednesday in the latest round of the China-EU high-level strategic dialogue alongside EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas in Brussels, an official statement from Beijing said.
“On issues of peace and security,” Wang told Kallas, “China has the best track record among major countries in today's world.”
“China is not the United States, and its path should not be mirrored against America's historical trajectory,” said the veteran Chinese diplomat.
Acknowledging differences between China and the EU in history, culture, and values, Wang said that nevertheless they “should not warrant rivalry, nor their disagreements necessitate confrontation.”
While Europe currently faces various challenges, Wang assured Kallas that “they have never come – and will never come – from China, whether in the past, present or future.”
The meeting in Brussels came as the EU faces pressure from the US on tariffs and defense spending while the Trump administration has re-engaged with Russia amid the war on Ukraine.
Wang is on a weeklong tour of Europe, beginning his meetings with top officials in Belgium where he met Prime Minister Bart De Wever on Wednesday as well as Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot.
Later he met EU Council President Antonio Costa before holding a strategic dialogue with Kallas on Wednesday.
During his trip, he is scheduled to meet German officials in Berlin and later French officials in Paris.
China and the EU this year are marking 50 years of bilateral relations and have elevated ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
A summit of Chinese and EU leaders is set to be held later this month with a venue yet to be announced.
- ‘Respect for core interests’
In his meeting with Kallas, Wang said he hoped the EU “will develop a more objective and rational understanding of China and adopt a more positive and practical policy toward China.”
“It is most important for China and the EU to respect each other and accommodate each other's core interests,” Wang said.
“The Taiwan question concerns China's sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Wang said, voicing hope that the European side “will strictly adhere to the one-China principle in both word and deed.”
According to the Chinese statement, Kallas responded in the affirmative on Taiwan, saying: “The EU remains committed to the one-China policy.”
The two sides also discussed issues of trade, technology, the Ukraine war, the Palestine-Israel conflict, and the Iranian nuclear issue.
Wang said the ties between Beijing and Brussels “should be characterized as that of partners rather than rivals, with cooperation as the defining feature and ballast.”
“The two sides need to properly handle their differences through dialogue within this framework,” he said.
