Europe should support free trade with China and follow the policies of openness, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his visiting French counterpart Stéphane Séjourné in Beijing. Meanwhile, Séjourné told Wang that France wants China to send a “clear message” to Russia about the Ukraine war, adding that global trade depended on a just peace. He added: “There will be no security for Europeans if there is no peace in accordance with international law. It is an essential issue for us, which is why France is determined to maintain a close dialogue with China.” Séjourné said Beijing “plays a key role in respect for international law, including on Ukraine’s sovereignty, and therefore we are clearly expecting that China will send very clear messages to Russia”. The two Foreign Ministers also called for an “an immediate and lasting ceasefire” in Gaza.
Séjourné’s visit is the second time a French Foreign Minister has gone to China in less than six months, following the trip by his predecessor Catherine Colonna in November. During the meeting, Wang focused on Beijing’s concerns that Europe has been “de-risking” its supply chains to reduce its dependence on China. “We hope that together with Europe, we will adhere to the policies of openness, support free trade and maintain the stability of the global industrial supply chain,” Wang said. He also said China would like to buy more French products and services and provide a better operating environment for French companies in China. In return, Wang said, he hoped France would provide a “fair, just and predictable” business environment for Chinese firms.
Minister Wang Yi was also asked about a European Union probe into subsidies for Chinese electric vehicle makers that might result in new import duties. He responded by saying: “Only openness leads to progress, isolation only leads to backwardness.” Séjourné told Wang “that it is not desirable to decouple from China”. He said the European Union was still open to Chinese investment but wanted to “de-risk” the relationship after the Covid-19 pandemic and Ukraine war had highlighted the dangers of being over reliant on one market.
Wang said the two countries will continue cooperation in areas such as aerospace, nuclear energy, agriculture, finance, green energy, as well as science, education, sports and cultural heritage, as “our common interests far outweigh our differences”. “I believe that it has been proved, and will continue to be proved, that China is an opportunity and not a risk for Europe. Both sides are partners and not rivals,” Wang said, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
