The use of customs barriers by certain European countries is not a winning strategy, and China and the European Union (EU) should deepen their cooperation in a spirit of reciprocity and mutual respect across all sectors, said a former member of the European Parliament (MEP).
Hervé Juvin, a former MEP, made these remarks on Monday while commenting on the visit of Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao to Brussels.
According to a joint statement issued on Tuesday, China and the EU have confirmed the official establishment of China-EU trade and investment consultation mechanism as the two sides held the first meeting of the mechanism. China's Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security and Inter-institutional Relations and Transparency Maros Šefčovič co-chaired the first meeting of the mechanism on Monday in Brussels.
The two sides conducted comprehensive, in-depth and constructive discussions on key economic and trade issues, according to the Commerce Ministry.
Against a backdrop of growing trade tensions and a resurgence of protectionist reflexes, Juvin reflected on the conditions for constructive dialogue between Beijing and Brussels. He said that Wang's visit was a sign that ideological aspects do not override the shared interests between the two parties.
"Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao's visit to Europe is, I believe, an important sign. First, it is a sign that dialogue has not been interrupted. It is a sign that avenues for cooperation remain and are probably being discussed and explored. But more importantly for me, it is a sign that ideological aspects, beliefs, and sweeping assertions do not override the realism of our shared interests," he said.
Juvin said that the use of customs barriers by certain European countries was not a winning strategy, and called on the EU to cooperate with the most competitive companies in China.
"Some European Union nations bemoan their deindustrialisation and consider themselves losers, and tend to call for customs barriers to protect themselves. That is not necessarily a winning strategy. The winning strategy is to work with the best wherever they are. The winning strategy is to forge partnerships, to forge cooperation, to discuss contracts with the most competitive companies, especially if they are in China, in fields such as robotics, electric vehicles and batteries, certain infrastructure—particularly those that provide green energy—and obviously also in the field of artificial intelligence," he said.
Juvin also urged the two parties to deepen their collaboration in a spirit of reciprocity and mutual respect.
"And we have every interest in harmonious and coordinated development everywhere on this continent. It is about connectivity, but it is also about respect and understanding of mutual benefit for the greatest number. And this dimension of mutual benefit for the greatest number, I believe, in a spirit of reciprocity and mutual respect for our differences, should lead us to deepen our collaborations in all sectors on a clearly win-win model," he said.
China, EU should deepen cooperation in spirit of reciprocity, mutual respect: former MEP
