Beijing, European bloc must \u201ckeep world peaceful, stable, safeguard multilateralism,\u201d says Chinese FM spox
\n Beijing
\nChina\u2019s top diplomat heads to Europe on Monday for a visit which Beijing said will highlight ties as an \u201canchor of stability\u201d in a world in turmoil.
\nWang Yi\u2019s tour will take him to the European Union\u2019s headquarters in Brussels as well as France and Germany as China seeks to improve relations with the bloc as a counterweight to superpower rival the United States.
\nBut deep frictions remain over the economy \u2014 including a yawning trade deficit of $357.1 billion between China and the EU \u2014 and Beijing\u2019s close ties with Russia despite Moscow\u2019s war in Ukraine.
\n\u201cThe world is undergoing an accelerated evolution of a century-old change, with unilateralism, protectionism and bullying behaviour becoming rampant,\u201d Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Friday \u2014 a thinly veiled swipe against the United States under President Donald Trump.
\nIn that context, Guo said, Beijing and the European bloc must \u201ckeep the world peaceful and stable, safeguard multilateralism, free trade, international rules, fairness and justice, and act firmly as anchors of stability and constructive forces in a volatile world\u201d.
\nWang will meet with his EU counterpart, Kaja Kallas, at the bloc\u2019s headquarters in Brussels for \u201chigh-level strategic dialogue\u201d.
\nIn Germany, he will hold talks with Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on diplomacy and security \u2014 his first visit since Berlin\u2019s new conservative-led government took power in May.
\nAnd in France, Wang will meet minister for Europe and foreign affairs Jean-Noel Barrot, who visited China in March.
\nThe war in Ukraine will likely be high on the agenda, with European leaders having been forthright in condemning what they say is Beijing\u2019s backing for Moscow.
\nChina has portrayed itself as a neutral party in Russia\u2019s more than three-year war with Ukraine. But Western governments say Beijing\u2019s close ties have given Moscow crucial economic and diplomatic support, and they have urged China to do more to press Russia to end the war.
\nTrade tensions
\nTies between Europe and China have also strained in recent years as the EU seeks to get tougher on what it says are unfair economic practices by Beijing.
\nAfter the European bloc placed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports, China retaliated with its own duties, including on French cognac.
\nAn agreement on cognac has been reached with Beijing but not formally approved by the Chinese commerce ministry, a source in the French economy ministry told AFP.
\nThe source said finalisation was partially linked with the EU\u2019s ongoing negotiations over EVs.
\nTensions flared this month after the EU banned Chinese firms from government medical device purchases worth more than five million euros ($5.8 million), in retaliation for limits Beijing places on access to its own market.
\nThe latest salvo in trade tensions between the 27-nation bloc and China covered a wide range of healthcare supplies, from surgical masks to X-ray machines, that represent a market worth 150 billion euros in the EU.
\nIn response, China accused the European Union of \u201cdouble standards\u201d.
\nAnother sticking point has been rare earths.
\nBeijing has since April required licences to export these strategic materials from China, which accounts for almost two-thirds of rare earth mining production and 92% of global refined output, according to the International Energy Agency.
\nThe metals are used in a wide variety of products, including electric car batteries, and there has been criticism from industries about the way China\u2019s licences have been issued.
\nChina has proposed establishing a \u201cgreen channel\u201d to ease the export of rare earths to the EU, its commerce ministry said this month.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Beijing, European bloc must \u201ckeep world peaceful, stable, safeguard multilateralism,\u201d says Chinese FM spox Beijing China\u2019s top diplomat heads to Europe on Monday for a visit which Beijing said will highlight ties as an \u201canchor of stability\u201d in a world in turmoil. Wang Yi\u2019s tour will take him to the European Union\u2019s headquarters in Brussels […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":487679,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-487668","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n