High-level visits pave way to clear misunderstandings about a developing China but more exchanges are needed

Separate missions by leaders of France and Germany to China this week are expected to bring China-Europe relations to a new stage of development, following a chilly period.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy's three-day visit, which started on Wednesday, will help amend damaged ties with China, following the disruption of the Beijing Olympic torch relay in Paris in 2008 and Sarkozy's meeting with the Dalai Lama in defiance of Beijing's opposition. The official visit by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton marks the first visit by a high-profile EU delegation since the election of its new commission members last year.

Economic and trade cooperation will still dominate bilateral relations between China and France. China's ongoing campaign for economic restructuring and its unremitting efforts to develop a green, low-carbon and sustainable economy will further expand channels for cooperation with France, which is now struggling to recover from the impact of the most serious financial and economic crises after the end of World War II. Enormous changes that occurred on the international stage have pushed Sino-French relations beyond the bilateral scope.

An accelerating globalization has deepened interdependence among countries. Global security, climate and energy issues are growing threats that need joint efforts from the international community to tackle. At the same time, remarkable progress made by some emerging countries such as China in the past years has greatly enhanced their role in resolving global economic, political and security issues. The World Bank's decision on April 25 to expand the voting power of China, India and other developing countries in the institution is testimony to the increasing global influence of these emerging nations. Both China and France have been well aware of the changes in the world's political and economic landscape and have thus paid greater importance to developing ties with each other.

A common challenge facing Sino-French ties is how the two countries can seek an effective global governance formula to promote the development of the international community. All major powers, including China and France, cannot remain blind to global issues such as the restructuring of the United Nations, G8, G20, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and other international and regional organizations to better enjoy the benefits of globalization while reducing its negative impact. As two influential players in the international arena, China and Europe should deepen cooperation on these issues of global significance.

During his stay in China, Sarkozy is scheduled to meet President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao. Their talks are expected to focus on climate change, nuclear non-proliferation and security, as well as other issues of common concern. Paris is due to hold the presidency of the G8 and G20 in 2011 and expects more progress to be made in the push to tighten global financial supervision and reform the international monetary system.

Globalization has widened common ground between China and France and the establishment of a multilateral cooperative mechanism aimed at improving global governance will serve their interests.

The two countries should learn from the setback in bilateral ties suffered two years ago. Paris should come to realize that sovereignty and territorial integrity are issues related to Beijing's core interests and respect Beijing's stance in this regard. The two countries should stick to the win-win principle and compromise in case disputes emerge in areas of bilateral trade and the economy.

Diplomatic elites in European countries often claim that China should no longer be seen as a developing country when discussing foreign policies toward the Asian nation. This indicates the intention of a number of European politicians to press for adjustments to their China policy in a bid to put more international onus on the nation.

Despite its rapid development in the past decades, China's status as a developing nation has not changed. Any demands raised by France and other European countries for China to undertake exorbitant international obligations disproportional to its national situation will stoke grievances among the Chinese public toward Europe, which will in turn undercut bilateral cooperation when tackling a wide range of international issues.

Another challenge to a smooth Sino-French relationship and a broader Sino-EU relationship is whether China and European countries can change the long-standing prejudices that European media and public hold toward China. According to a recent survey conducted by BBC, European countries, in comparison with the rest of the world, harbor the most negative opinions about China.

In addition to developing and strengthening its ties with Europe's political and business circles, China should also strive to further deepen exchanges with European media and nongovernmental organizations to enhance their understanding of its national conditions and its domestic and international policies. Expanded and deepened governmental and nongovernmental exchanges will help China maintain a stable relationship with France and Europe as a whole.

Europe is expected to forge ahead in its pursuit of a unified diplomacy and the bloc's political integration is irreversible. China's cooperation with Europe should therefore include strengthening cooperation with individual European countries and the EU as a whole. A stable relationship between China and European countries is expected to spearhead the development of Sino-EU ties.

The author is director of the Institute of European Studies under the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.

(China Daily 04/29/2010 page8)