Brussels (TDI): As global uncertainties rise, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday urged the European Union to adopt a “pragmatic and rational” understanding of China, distancing Chinese-European relations from comparisons with the US approach.
Speaking during the 13th China-EU High-level Strategic Dialogue in Brussels, Wang emphasized that Europe’s current challenges, political, economic, or security-related, do not stem from China, and called for deeper cooperation grounded in shared interests, not rivalry.
“China is not the United States,” Wang told his EU counterparts. “We have different histories, cultures, and development paths, and it’s important that China is viewed through its own lens, not through the prism of another country.”
The high-level talks were co-chaired by Wang Yi and Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Their meeting comes ahead of a planned China-EU leaders’ summit and against the backdrop of growing strategic recalibrations across the world.
Read More: China-Europe Freight Train Hits 110,000 Trip Milestone
This year also marks 50 years of diplomatic ties between China and the EU, adding symbolic weight to the meeting. Wang described the milestone as a reminder that the relationship has historically been defined by partnership and mutual benefit, not confrontation.
“Cooperation has been the anchor of China-EU relations,” Wang said, while acknowledging that differences should be managed through dialogue. “We share wide-ranging common interests, and these should guide our future engagement.”
Read More: China-Europe Freight Train Trips Reach 100,000
Kallas, representing the EU, echoed a tone of cautious cooperation. She reaffirmed the bloc’s commitment to the One-China policy, and said the EU hoped for “constructive dialogue” in the lead-up to the leaders’ summit.
“The EU and China are influential players with shared responsibilities,” Kallas said, adding that the relationship must evolve to reflect today’s realities. She also pointed to the need for more balanced trade ties and fairer economic cooperation, an area where Brussels has increasingly voiced concerns in recent years.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
