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Wang Yi urges EU to 'clarify' its position on partnership with China

15 July 2023 09:36 (UTC +04:00)

The European Union must further "clarify" its position on its strategic partnership with Beijing, China's top diplomat Wang Yi told European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, as EU leaders called for reduced dependence on China, APA reports citing Reuters.

The launch of a EU-China comprehensive strategic partnership in 2003 had promised to elevate ties beyond trade and investment. But since 2019, the 27-nation European Union has called China an "economic competitor" and a "systemic rival".

China and the EU should strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust, and deepen cooperation, and the bloc should not "waver", let alone encourage backpedaling in words and deeds, Wang told Borrell on Friday on the sidelines of ASEAN meetings in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.

Last month, EU leaders committed to lessening the bloc's dependence on China and debated how to strike a balance between "de-risking" and cooperating in areas such as climate change. In March, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said a hardening of China's position required Europe to "de-risk" both economically and diplomatically.

The Commission is also urging EU members to agree to stronger controls on exports and outflows of technologies for military use by "countries of concern".