China values relations with the European Union and welcomes the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, to visit at the earliest convenient time, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Wednesday. The ministry should have given a reason for canceling a trip by Borrell, who had been due to arrive next week. The foreign ministry said the visit would have focused on strategic issues, including human rights and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
The move comes after EU foreign policy chief Olaf Scholz called China to rethink its approach to the conflict with Russia and strengthen economic cooperation in the country’s eastern flank. The comments echo a message from German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the Chinese premier, Li Qiang, who was visiting Berlin this week as part of a European tour.
Germany and France have been vocal critics of Beijing’s support for Russia in escalating tensions with the West. And while there was some cautious welcome of Xi’s call to Zelensky last month, Western officials have raised concerns over the Chinese leader’s rapport with Putin and his reluctance to call for concessions from Moscow in Ukraine.
A meeting of top diplomats from both sides was held virtually on Tuesday, with carefully crafted readouts that avoided sensitive language on the EU’s evolving view of Beijing. An EU spokesperson said the meeting had “focused on China’s strategic security and the importance of maintaining a multifaceted relationship with the EU, which is mature, mutually beneficial, and non-confrontational.”
But the two sides remain at odds over other issues, including trade, investment, security, and Taiwan. China has been enraged by a series of moves by the EU to tighten rules on foreign investments in Europe, particularly in financial services, and by calls from the bloc for Beijing to stop backing pro-independence groups in Taiwan.
In the talks with Borrell, the two sides agreed to maintain dialogue on these issues and explore other ways to promote bilateral economic and trade ties, an EU spokesperson said. The pair also discussed cooperation on regional issues, including counter-terrorism and security. The spokesperson added that the EU’s new strategy on China was reaffirmed in the talks, with leaders agreeing to continue de-risking and diversifying from Beijing where appropriate but not to “decouple” from the world’s No two economy.
