China’s President Xi Jinping has called on European Union leaders to stand with it against unilateralism, in a veiled rebuke to US President Donald Trump’s efforts to upend the global world order.
In a message to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa on the 50th anniversary of the establishment of EU-China ties, Xi said the two sides need to “properly manage” differences and deepen strategic communication.
“China and the EU should uphold multilateralism, defend fairness and justice, oppose unilateral bullying,” state media Xinhua cited Xi as saying on Tuesday. The two sides “should work together to address global challenges, and jointly promote an equitable and orderly multipolar world and an inclusive economic globalization,” he added.
Xi’s outreach is the latest sign of Beijing’s willingness to improve relations with Brussels, coming on the same day that China publicly confirmed for the first time it was suspending sanctions against European lawmakers that had hampered mutual exchanges.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Lin Jian, told reporters at a daily press briefing on Tuesday that while ties between Beijing and Brussels had experienced “twists and turns,” time has come to turn a new page.
“Under the current circumstances, both sides believe that it is very important for China and the EU to strengthen dialogue and cooperation,” Lin was cited as saying by state broadcaster China Central Television. “We believe and expect that with the full resumption of exchanges between China and the EU, exchanges and understanding between the two sides will be deepened.”
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China is seeking to repair ties with the EU, positioning itself as a more reliable partner at a time when Trump alienates the bloc. Its decision to drop sanctions had previously been confirmed only by the European Parliament’s president, Roberta Metsola, last week.
Imposed in 2021, the measures had targeted five members of the European Parliament and the legislature’s subcommittee on human rights. They were imposed in response to measures taken earlier by the EU over China’s human-rights practices in the far western region of Xinjiang.
The official Xinhua News Agency separately cited citing the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson as saying Beijing welcomes Costa and von der Leyen to visit the country for a new round of bilateral talks at “a proper time.”
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Still, differences remain. At an event in Beijing to mark the anniversary and the upcoming Europe Day on May 9, the EU’s ambassador to China, Jorge Toledo, raised a range of issues that have long been divisive.
Toledo reiterated calls for Beijing to address trade imbalances, create a fair market environment for European companies in China, collaborate on global challenges and reciprocate the bloc’s commitment to improving bilateral relations.
“The European Union is ready to put in the necessary effort,” Toledo said. “We hope China will do the same.”
