China and the European Union (EU) should be predictable, trustworthy friends and partners for each other, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press briefing in Beijing on Monday. From June 30 to July 6, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited the EU Headquarters, Germany and France. During the visit, Wang met with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and held a high-level dialogue with various European leaders.
As 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic relations, Mao highlighted the importance of strategic cooperation between the two sides at the press conference. She stressed China's willingness to work with France and Germany, as two core EU members, to jointly advance the development of China-EU relations.
"Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed that in a turbulent and rapidly changing world, as major countries, China, Germany and France have every reason to strengthen strategic communication and coordination, jointly practice multilateralism, oppose unilateralism and bullying, oppose bloc confrontation, and provide more certainty and predictability for the world. We need to implement the common understandings reached between the leaders of the countries, enhance understanding and mutual trust, maintain open cooperation, strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchange, properly handle differences and disagreements, and promote the sustained and steady growth of China-Germany and China-France ties," said Mao.
"Since this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-EU diplomatic ties, it is most opportune to enhance strategic cooperation between the two sides under the current circumstances. China is happy to see Germany and France, the core major countries of the EU, drive the EU towards strategic autonomy, and encourage the EU to form an objective, rational and correct perception of China, properly handle its economic and trade differences with China, and jointly move China-EU ties forward," she said.
"Leaders of both Germany and France said they place high importance on ties with China, and stressed that in a world fraught with risks and challenges, it's important to maintain strategic communication between their countries and China. It is necessary to have more high-level exchanges, policy coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation. It is also important to properly handle disagreements and differences by respecting each other and treating the issues constructively. The two sides should also jointly address global challenges, inject more vitality into multilateralism, and prevent the world from falling into hegemonic conflicts and bloc confrontations. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, China and the EU should make strategic choices to become each other's predictable and trustworthy friends and partners. Leaders of the two countries reaffirmed commitment to the one-China policy," she added.
China, EU should be predictable, trustworthy friends, partners: spokeswoman
