China, Europe are partners, not systemic rivals: Chinese FM

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Saturday at the Munich Security Conference that China and Europe are partners, not opponents, and certainly not "systemic rivals."

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in response to questions on China-EU relations after delivering a speech at the "China in the World" session of the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

Half a century of engagement and daily trade exceeding 2 billion U.S. dollars clearly show the depth of China-Europe partnership, said Wang, cautioning that exaggerating differences would harm China-Europe relations.

Acknowledging differences in social systems, values, and development paths, he stressed that differences are not a reason to be adversaries, and divergences are not a basis for confrontation. Mutual respect, appreciation, and learning should guide their efforts to realize common development and jointly illuminate the world, according to Wang.

"Of course, China and Europe partners. We are not opponents, certainly not 'systemic rivals.' This is a negative mindset, and also a wrong perception," said Wang.

"As an ancient Chinese saying goes, 'all things grow together without harming each other; ways run in parallel without conflict.' Over 2,000 years ago, our ancestors possessed such a vision and inclusiveness. Are we, as humanity today, truly inferior to those of the past? Confucius observed that 'gentleman seeks harmony but not uniformity.' This means that first, we acknowledge differences and diversity, based on this basis, we can seek a better harmony. This is the height we strive to attain, and also the way of a gentleman," he said.

"We hope that China and Europe will both act in accordance with the way of a gentleman. In today's complex and turbulent international environment, the two sides should join hands to uphold multilateralism, safeguard the authority of the United Nations, oppose unilateral bullying, safeguard free trade and resist bloc confrontation," he added.

China, Europe are partners, not systemic rivals: Chinese FM

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to invest 38.3 billion U.S. dollars as to the end of 2026 to purchase and renovate additional detention facilities for undocumented immigrants, amid a sharp rise in arrests over the past year.

According to the ICE Detention Reengineering Initiative released Friday by the office of Kelly Ayotte, governor of the U.S. state of New Hampshire, ICE intends to buy 16 buildings and convert them into small-scale detention centers to expand custody capacity. The facilities are expected to be put into use by November, 2026.

Each facility would accommodate between 1,000 and 1,500 people, with an average detention period of three to seven days.

Meanwhile, the document says that the ICE also plans to establish eight large-scale detention centers, each capable of holding 7,000 to 10,000 detainees, with an average detention duration of about 60 days.

The document points out that the ICE is to recruit 12,000 additional law enforcement personnel for a potential surge in arrests and consequently, increased demand for detention facilities.

U.S. government data shows that the number of individuals detained by ICE has increased by approximately 74 percent since the current U.S. administration assumed office in January 2025.

ICE to invest 38.3 bln USD for new detention centers