Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Xavier Bettel, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Luxembourg, held talks on bilateral relations and China-European Union (EU) ties in Beijing on Monday, agreeing on the further enhancement of mutual trust and cooperation.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that Luxembourg is an important partner of China.
Over the past 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Luxembourg, the two countries have always adhered to mutual respect, equality and win-win cooperation. The bilateral relations have achieved long-term stable development and become an important stabilizing factor in China-EU relations, Wang said.
"Our cooperation is all-round. Last year, Luxembourg became the largest investment destination of China in the EU. The success in China-Luxembourg cooperation carries great exemplary significance," he said.
The cooperation between the two sides fully demonstrates that dialogue rather than confrontation, openness rather than isolation and interconnection rather than "decoupling" are the right way, which is conducive to promoting common development and effectively responding to global challenges, Wang said.
Noting that China and Luxembourg have a lot to offer to each other’s economy and their all-round cooperation has yielded fruitful results, Wang said that China appreciates Luxembourg's active and pragmatic policy toward China and is willing to work with Luxembourg to consolidate political mutual trust, seek synergy in advantages, create new growth points for green development cooperation, enhance people-to-people exchanges, and push China-Luxembourg relations to a new high.
Noting that next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, Wang said China and the EU are partners rather than rivals, and the two sides should respect and appreciate each other, think from each other's perspective and seek cooperation.
The establishment of the EU is a milestone in the process of economic globalization and world multipolarization, Wang said, adding that in the face of rising unilateralism and protectionism, it is hoped that the EU will stick to its original intention and adhere to strategic autonomy.
China is ready to work with Luxembourg to promote sustained and healthy development of China-EU relations, he said.
For his part, Bettel said Luxembourg and China are different in size, but the two sides have the common aspiration to march forward hand in hand. Luxembourg firmly adheres to the one-China policy, looks forward to closer cooperation with China, and is full of confidence in the broad prospects of the development of Luxembourg-China relations.
Luxembourg's economy has achieved take-off by relying on openness, inclusiveness and innovation. It does not support bloc confrontation and firmly believes that only by adhering to a cooperative attitude and partnership spirit, conducting frank communication, enhancing mutual trust and understanding, can a solution beneficial to all parties be found, he said.
Bettel said Luxembourg, as a founding member of the EU, is committed to enhancing mutual trust between Europe and China, promoting the EU-China partnership, and is willing to be a gateway for open cooperation between China and Europe.
China is a trustworthy major country, and Luxembourg hopes that China will play a greater role in world peace and stability, he said.
The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern.
China, Luxembourg vow to deepen mutual trust, enhance cooperation
