Wang Yi urges Europe to be ‘pragmatic’ in China ties during talks with senior French diplomat

China hopes Europe will adopt a more “pragmatic” and “rational” approach in its cooperation with Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a meeting with senior French diplomatic adviser Emmanuel Bonne.

“[Europe should] avoid external interference, ensure mutual openness and promote the stable development of relations between China and Europe,” Wang told Bonne, diplomatic counsellor to French President Emmanuel Macron, in Beijing on Monday.

Wang added that China and the EU were partners, not rivals, and that the common interests of the two sides far outweighed their differences, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

The meeting between the top diplomats came weeks after EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell’s own meeting with Wang. During the talks, Borrell said the bloc’s huge trade deficit with China and Beijing’s stance on the Ukraine war had affected bilateral relations. The annual EU-China summit is expected to take place later this year, but a date has yet to be set.

China boosts France ties, but Ukraine proves one step too far for Macron

Bonne, who is in the Chinese capital for a China-France strategic dialogue, said France was committed to promoting cooperation between Brussels and Beijing. He added that both sides could strengthen coordination on international issues, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

“Facing the risk of a divided world, France and China should strengthen their cooperation, play their role as permanent members of the Security Council … promote solidarity and address challenges,” Bonne said, adding that Beijing and Paris could coordinate closely on sustainable development, biodiversity and climate change.

He said France was confident about China’s economy and had “no intention” of limiting its development.

Wang called for France to practise “true multilateralism” with China to counter global challenges. He said French businesses were welcome to invest and prosper in China, adding that he hoped France would provide a fairer business environment for Chinese enterprises.

The two sides exchanged views on the crisis in Ukraine, the war in Gaza, climate change, artificial intelligence and other topics, the Chinese foreign ministry said.

During Macron’s visit to China in April, the leader agreed to deepen exchanges with China – even in sensitive areas such as 5G technology and the military.

Paris agreed to give “fair and non-discriminatory treatment” to Chinese companies applying for business licences, including technology companies.

02:12

Russia launches missile drills to test its ability to deliver ‘massive’ retaliatory nuclear strike

On the military front, the two sides agreed to “deepen exchanges” between the People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theatre Command, which oversees military activities in the South China Sea, and French units in the Asia-Pacific.

Macron’s visit was soon followed by a series of dialogues between senior officials, including talks between China’s then-foreign minister Qin Gang and his French counterpart Catherine Colonna and a meeting between French finance minister Bruno Le Maire and Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng in July.

However, French efforts to persuade Beijing to leverage its ties with Moscow to end the Ukraine war have received little response from the Chinese side.

China is France’s seventh-largest trading partner. Trade between the two reached US$40.5 billion in the first half of this year, up 0.7 per cent year on year, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. China’s exports to France dropped by 9.3 per cent, but imports rose by 14.6 per cent.

South China Morning Post