Opportunity for China and EU to bolster ties to withstand the broadsides triggered by US: China Daily editorial

The 24th China-EU Summit scheduled to be held in Beijing on Thursday will be the first such in-person meeting of leaders between the two sides in four years. It has additional significance as it coincides with the 20th anniversary of the two sides establishing an all-round strategic partnership. The event therefore carries special weight for both sides.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi described it as an occasion for the leaders to "chart the course and paint a blueprint" for their relationship and to "boost confidence" in China-EU relations, giving fresh impetus to their cooperation. Wang called for concerted efforts by the two sides to make the meeting a success.

Amid the high-handed attempts by the US administration to break and reshape the global supply chains to its liking, both China and the European Union are struggling to fend off the negative impacts. Bilateral relations, which have generally been friendly and productive for decades, now face severe tests as the EU tries to secure its own foothold in the post-pandemic world. After officially defining China as a "systemic rival", Brussels is now moving decidedly to "de-risk" from and reduce "dependencies" on China. The latest anti-subsidy probe Brussels launched against Chinese electric vehicles being symptomatic of this worrying new development.

With China's once robust economic and trade ties with the United States increasingly being choked by the US' disruptions and machinations — ideological nastiness disingenuously paraded as concern for national security — the China-EU bond is also in the gunsights of Washington. But China is not the only losing party. For all the complaints it has regarding China, the EU has benefited tremendously from economic and trade cooperation with China. That the Chinese market remains consequential to the European post-pandemic recovery is not empty talk. Against all the geopolitical headwinds of 2022, bilateral trade reached $874.3 billion, increasing 2.4 percent year-on-year.

The differences that exist between Beijing and Brussels may not be easily bridged, especially those rooted in their divergent world views. But surrendering to the US' attempts to create geopolitical divisions is a prescription for self-harm for the EU. When the Chinese and EU leaders meet, they share a burden of damage control. And their choices will go a long way to defining the nature of China-EU relations for at least the foreseeable future.

Beijing is correct in insisting that "de-risking" should not become "de-cooperating". For that is the path of greater turmoil and troubles.

Wang Yi told the EU envoys that camp confrontation won't emerge if China and the EU choose dialogue; a new Cold War won't occur if China and the EU choose peace and stability; and hopes of global prosperity will increase if China and the EU choose openness and win-win cooperation.

The two sides have been cooperating well on global challenges such as climate change. Together they could do even greater good if they extend their collaboration to such common concerns as public health and AI governance.