Frequent high-level mutual visits and active communication signal the return of win-win cooperation between China and Europe

Frequent high-level mutual visits and active communication

China and Europe are expected to return to the main tone of win-win cooperation

Our reporter Wu Na

Ambassador Li Hui, Special Representative of the Chinese Government for Eurasian Affairs, will visit five European countries starting from May 15 to communicate with all parties on the political solution to the Ukraine crisis. For more than a month, leaders and dignitaries of many European countries have visited China intensively, and high-level Chinese officials have also recently visited Europe intensively. In particular, Qin Gang’s first visit to Europe after becoming China’s foreign minister has attracted attention. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the European Union. Many experts said that China-EU relations have been negatively affected by the Ukraine crisis.

At the press conference on the celebration of Europe Day held by the EU delegation in China on May 9, Tuo Yaohui, the EU ambassador to China, answered the reporter’s question and said, “Qin Gang’s visit is welcomed by both the EU and China. It’s good news.” At the same time, he introduced that a high-level dialogue will be held in the second half of this year, and China and the EU will reach agreements and make progress in more fields.

China actively mediates for peace

Since the phone call between the heads of state of China and Uzbekistan on April 26, when China announced that it would send a special representative of the Chinese government on Eurasian affairs to visit Ukraine and other countries, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently announced that Ambassador Li Hui will go to Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany and Russia visited five countries to communicate with all parties on the political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis.

Zheng Chunrong, director of the German Studies Center of Tongji University, analyzed the reasons for the Chinese special representative’s visit to these countries to our reporter: Ukraine and Russia are countries involved in the conflict, and China needs to listen to their opinions and ideas when going to actively mediate; Poland can be said to be The European countries have the most hawkish stance on Russia and are therefore representative; France and Germany are European powers and leading forces within the European Union, which played a major role in the Ukraine crisis. In particular, during his visit to China, French President Macron expressed his willingness to cooperate with China to find a solution to the Ukrainian crisis, “expressing a positive and clear statement.”

“From the global security initiative, China’s position on a political solution to the Ukrainian crisis, to the phone call between the heads of state of China and Ukraine, and the dispatch of a special envoy, they all show that China is willing to assume more international responsibilities in diplomacy and work towards building a safer world.” Zheng Chunrong China firmly stands on the side of peace and actively mediates to promote peace talks.

Changes and invariances in European attitudes

“This conflict has a great impact on Europe’s foreign relations. Europe and Russia have formed a serious confrontation. Europe and the United States are getting closer and closer, and China-EU relations have become victims.” This is Feng Zhongping, director of the European Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in a recent statement. Statement made at the British Blue Book launch. In his view, since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, many European countries, especially Central and Eastern European countries, have bound China and Russia, and every move in Sino-Russian relations will be scrutinized. “Even normal Sino-Russian relations will be magnified.”

For more than a year, European countries have faced economic downturn or even recession pressure, energy security has faced crisis, and people’s livelihood has encountered challenges. Feng Zhongping believes that despite all kinds of difficulties, “Europe’s position of aiding Ukraine and opposing Russia has not changed much.” At the same time, he also noticed two major changes. One is that the mainstream opinion in Europe hopes to end this conflict as soon as possible. As for how to end it, each country has different positions. In November, German Chancellor Scholz visited Huawei as a “significant event”, and since then there has been a new round of intensive interactions between China and Europe.

What was the impetus behind the pragmatic shift? According to Feng Zhongping’s analysis, the first is economic reasons. Europe seeks to maintain cooperation with China in terms of economy and trade. China cooperates to resolve the Ukraine crisis and hopes that China will play a greater role in quelling the Ukraine crisis. In addition, Feng Zhongping emphasized that Europe’s attitude towards China has also changed during the Trump and Biden administrations. During the Trump period, Europe emphasized the “third way”, that is, to distance itself from the US policy toward China. After Biden came to power, he showed an attitude of wooing allies to deal with China, and Europe no longer made relevant statements. “But from last fall to now, Europe has begun to emphasize not to choose sides between China and the United States.”

“For more than a year, under the influence of this conflict, China-EU relations have experienced alienation and gunpowder, and now they have begun to stabilize and even recover.” Feng Zhongping said.

China-EU cooperation is expected to make progress

For more than a month, leaders and dignitaries of many European countries have visited China intensively, and high-level Chinese officials have also visited Europe intensively recently.

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang recently concluded his first trip to Europe since taking office, visiting Germany, France and Norway respectively. At the last stop in Norway, he said that through this visit, he deeply felt the positive willingness of the European side to strengthen communication and coordination with China and promote mutually beneficial cooperation. At the same time, for the sustainable and stable development of China-EU relations, three points need to be adhered to: first, adhere to an inclusive world view; second, adhere to a progressive historical view; third, adhere to a mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation view.

Since November last year, European leaders and high-level leaders have generally emphasized that they do not seek to “decouple” from China, but they have also continued to propose “de-risking” China. In this regard, Qin Gang pointed out during his visit to Europe that China is Europe’s partner in dealing with risks, and what China exports to Europe and the world is insurance rather than risks. He called on China and the EU to unanimously oppose “decoupling and broken chains” and jointly adhere to the correct direction of economic globalization. He also urged China and the EU to jointly oppose the “new cold war” and take the lead in promoting coordination and positive interaction among major powers.

Regarding Qin Gang’s suggestion that the Chinese side expressed concern about “de-risking”, Zheng Chunrong analyzed to our reporter that “de-risking” will eventually be “pan-security” and implementing specific policy measures will damage the normal economic, trade, scientific and technological cooperation between China and Europe. For example, Zheng Chunrong said that in the past, only Chinese companies investing in Europe faced scrutiny. Whether there will be a review of foreign investment overseas in the future, and more countries in Europe will intervene in the market economy, it is worthy of vigilance.

Regarding the future direction of China-EU relations, Zheng Chunrong believes that there are generally positive signals, but there are still challenges. For example, the new China strategy, “de-risking”, and the planned eleventh round of sanctions against Russia may involve Chinese companies, etc. “If they ignore our concerns, China will definitely give the necessary response.”

At a press conference held on May 9, Tuo Yaohui introduced that a high-level dialogue will be held in the second half of this year, and that China and the EU will reach agreements and make progress in more areas. “The European side looks forward to holding high-level economic and trade dialogues, digital dialogues and climate dialogues with China, and looking forward to making progress on things that have been stagnant for the past three years.” (Source: Beijing Daily)