EU should not let prejudice scupper deal: China Daily editorial

In his speech at the Munich Security Conference via video link on Tuesday, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi talked at length about China's relations with the world, with the European Union in particular. His message was China and the EU should view each other as partners, not rivals.

He reiterated that China is willing to maintain and expand comprehensive cooperation with the EU based on the principles of mutual respect and mutual benefit. He urged the EU to prevent false information from holding sway and undermining the social foundation for the stability and long-term development of China-EU relations.

Previously, China and the EU had, by and large, shared a strong political will to deepen and expand their practical and reciprocal cooperation. As Wang said in his speech, there have been various difficulties to overcome, but the overarching trend in their relations has been strengthened cooperation. This strong momentum in bilateral ties showed they could stand together despite the challenges and setbacks they encountered.

But there is no denying that relations between China and the EU are now facing a strong headwind. Wang's remarks came after the European Parliament passed a decision last week freezing ratification of the China-EU investment treaty.

Politicians in Europe should appreciate the mutually beneficial nature of bilateral cooperation and understand that the treaty is not a "gift" given by one party to the other. It is a deal that benefits both sides.

In recent years, the EU and China have stood together to safeguard free trade and multilateralism and their shared commitment remained unchanged even during the turbulent US presidency of Donald Trump who waged trade wars against China and the EU on different fronts. Politicians in the EU should not politicize economic issues now and relinquish the hard-won ground of China-EU cooperation.

Those politicians in Europe biased against China are hijacking the relationship. It is to be hoped that the EU will let reason prevail, reject their ideological prejudice and stop viewing China as a rival — let alone a threat. The finalizing of the investment deal after seven years of difficult negotiations showed that not only is there much common ground where the two sides can cooperate but they can work together to reach a consensus on rules of behavior.

Responsible politicians in the EU should shore up domestic political opinion to get the deal back on track so that it can be ratified at an early date.

That would not only be good for both sides, it would be good for the world as well, not least because it would belie the claims that China is not interested in playing by the rules.