Chinese Premier Li Qiang ended his week-long trip to Europe with a rejection of “decoupling”, urging the continent to “rise above differences” with China and to cooperate on global problems such as climate change and poverty alleviation.
China and France signed cooperation agreements in a wide range of fields, including aviation, space research and nuclear energy. Li underlined the need for both countries to tap the potential for cooperation in green development, technological innovation, digital trade and other areas, making a “larger pie” of common interests.
In his closing speech at the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact in Paris on June 23, Li repeated Beijing’s opposition to disengagement with the European Union and presented China’s development as a big opportunity for the world, rather than a threat. “China will unequivocally reject trade protectionism and all forms of decoupling and severing of supply chains,” Li said, adding that developed nations should take responsibility for climate change and China would continue to take practical steps to support its fellow developing countries. “China is ready to be engaged in debt relief efforts in an effective, realistic and comprehensive manner in keeping with the principle of fair burden-sharing,” Li said, as Zambia struck a major debt restructuring deal with its creditors, the biggest being China. Throughout the trip, Li urged France and the EU to maintain strategic autonomy and boost cooperation with China to “build more resilient supply chains”.
The Premier, who arrived in Paris on June 21 after four days in Germany, also called on political and business leaders in France to help sway opinion in Europe and develop “more objective and rational understandings and policies” towards China. Li’s six-day tour of the EU’s two biggest economies was his first overseas trip since he became premier in March.
It comes as China and the U.S. are mired in a Cold War-style confrontation, despite U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s fence-mending trip to China last week. Li played down concerns in Europe about economic security during a meeting with European Council President Charles Michel on the sidelines of the Paris gathering. The EU unveiled its first economic security strategy last week aimed at reducing risks “inherent in certain economic dependencies”, without directly naming China. “There is no conflict of fundamental interests between China and the EU. Both sides have benefited from each other’s development,” Li said. Both sides had “adhered to strategic autonomy” – suggesting they had kept their distance from Washington – and enjoyed consensus on climate change and other global issues. “China’s development brings opportunities rather than risks to the world, sending stability rather than shocks to the global industrial and supply chains,” he said.
Li expressed hope that the EU would “view its cooperation with China in an objective and rational way and work with China to safeguard the sound environment of China-EU practical cooperation”. He said both sides should promote mutual trust and address concerns “through successful cooperation” and that China was ready to work with the EU to “enhance the reliability and stability of China-EU economic and trade relations”. Michel said the EU would continue to adhere to the one-China policy and was willing to strengthen communication and exchanges with China and deepen cooperation on global challenges such as climate and health. “China’s development is beneficial to the EU and the world. The EU has no intention to contain China’s development, opposes a ‘new Cold War’ and the act of taking sides, and hopes that the next EU-China summit will lead to positive results,” he was quoted as saying.
Premier Li and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed topics including Ukraine and Taiwan. “In a world full of challenges, France and China should adhere to resultful multilateralism, promote international solidarity, improve global governance and promote solutions to global issues,” Macron was quoted as saying. Li responded that “China and France share a common strategic and holistic perspective”.
Addressing the closing ceremony of the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact in Paris, Premier Li said that efforts should be made to promote the reform of global financial governance and create a stable financing environment for developing countries. Developed countries should effectively fulfill their commitments to provide assistance and funding to developing countries, while developing countries need to enhance their own development capabilities, he said.
During Li's visit to Germany, both governments have agreed that maintaining the stability of the global supply chain is in the interests of both countries, after holding the 7th China-Germany inter-governmental consultation and the signing of more than 10 cooperation agreements. They agreed to establish a dialogue and cooperation mechanism on climate change and green transformation, hold the third China-Germany high-level financial dialogue, and the new China-Germany environmental forum, as well as dialogues on health. German Chancellor Scholz said that Germany rejects all forms of decoupling, and that “de-risking” is not “de-sinicization.” Premier Li said, “the biggest risk is non-cooperation and the biggest hidden security danger is non-development.”
This overview is based on reports by the China Daily, the Global Times and the South China Morning Post.
