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European Union
OpinionComment
Zhang Ming
Zhang Ming

Opinion | The EU should recognise the benefits of its partnership with China

  • Despite differences, the relationship over the years has been built on mutual benefit, complementarity, dialogue and cooperation. This has not changed
  • Away from the distortions of geopolitics and ideology, both sides have their work cut out to protect public health and nurture economic recovery

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell take part in a virtual meeting as part of the EU-China Strategic Dialogue on June 9. Photo: Dati Bendo/European Commission via dpa
Zhang Ming
Early next week, the leaders of China, the European Union and Germany, holder of the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, will meet via video conferencing. In a world full of uncertainties, leaders from both sides need to provide strategic guidance on key issues to keep China-EU relations on the right track.
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A serious issue for China and the EU at the moment is how to perceive each other correctly. We are of the view that China and the EU are partners that present opportunities to each other, not rivals that pose threats to each other. Differences in our social systems and development paths are not obstacles to dialogue and cooperation; still less do they support the argument that either China or the EU should be viewed by the other side as a systemic rival.

The dynamic growth of China-EU relations in the past 45 years gives the most telling example of how the two parties could seek common ground while navigating the differences.

Though Covid-19 accelerates the profound changes in the international landscape, the fundamentals of China-EU relations, which are defined by mutual benefit, complementarity, dialogue and cooperation, remain unchanged. China has never had any interest in turning the pandemic into an arena of competing systems or to leverage it to divide the EU. Just a decade ago, China and the EU fought the global financial crisis shoulder to shoulder.

02:07

Global coronavirus cases surpass 25 million as India deals with world’s fastest-growing outbreak

Global coronavirus cases surpass 25 million as India deals with world’s fastest-growing outbreak
It is now imperative to guard against any attempt to look at China-EU cooperation through the lens of geopolitics or ideology. The so-called “battle of narratives” would do much to help sow misgivings and dissension, yet do little to help fight the pandemic.
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Covid-19 will not change China’s deep engagement with the rest of the world. As the world’s largest developing country, China contributes to world peace and global development, upholds international order and provides public goods. China has always undertaken and will continue to undertake responsibilities commensurate with its capabilities.

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