China, EU are long-term strategic partners: Wang Yi

China and the EU are long-term comprehensive strategic partners, not institutional competitors, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said while attending the 10th China-EU High Level Strategic Dialogue on Tuesday.

The dialogue, convened via videoconference, was held by Wang and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

In past years, the China-EU relationship has kept cooperation as its main keynote, with fruitful results achieved in dialogue and cooperation in all areas, Wang said, noting that China and the EU have more cooperation and consensuses than competition and differences.

The important experience gained by both sides is that China and the EU can build trust through equal dialogue, realize win-win results through mutually beneficial cooperation, manage differences through constructive communication, and deal with global challenges by strengthening coordination, Wang said.

Noting that this year marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and the EU, he called on the two sides to further push forward high-level exchanges, jointly keep their industrial and supply chains stable, exchange experience in public health and emergency management, carry out vaccine research cooperation and promote third-party cooperation in fighting against COVID-19 in Africa.

The two sides also should strengthen coordination on macroeconomic policies, and push for greater opening-up and cooperation, as well as complete negotiations on the bilateral investment agreement on time, Wang said.

He noted that China and the EU, as the world’s major powers and civilizations, should consolidate their consensus on upholding multilateralism, strengthen cooperation under multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, and promote the global governance on public health, he added.

Borrell, for his part, said that the EU values the important role played by China in the global arena and seeks dialogue and cooperation, instead of confrontation and conflicts, with China on the basis of mutual respect.

The EU has very high expectations for the EU-China relationship and is willing to work with China to push forward pragmatic cooperation in all areas, ensure the completion of negotiations on the bilateral investment agreement within this year and build a closer EU-China relationship, he said.