China and the European Union should prepare for a meeting of their leaders, Beijing’s top foreign policy official said, indicating the Asian nation’s efforts to woo Europe amid deteriorating ties with the US.
At a meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Wang Yi urged EU counterpart Joseph Borrell to “help bring bilateral exchanges back to pre-pandemic levels as soon as possible.”
According to a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry in Beijing on Sunday, Wang said, “The two sides should maintain openness and cooperation, resist isolation and work together to maintain the stability of global production and supply chains.” “
China has been lobbying nations to cooperate on the technology since the US struck a deal last month with the Netherlands and Japan to restrict exports of some advanced chipmaking machinery to China, partly to curtail military progress. For.
China’s pressure could take on additional urgency amid tensions with the US. According to the official Xinhua news agency, Wang told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the same conference that Washington should change the way it handled the balloon episode.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement that Blinken said the plane’s entry into US airspace was an “irresponsible act that should never happen again” and that Russia was trying to avoid sanctions related to the invasion of Ukraine. Warned China against.
Xi held talks with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in April 2022 via video link.
Late last year, Xi met Michel in Beijing, where the Chinese leader urged efforts to resolve the war in Ukraine. Wang and Borrell also discussed Ukraine in their meeting on Saturday, with Wang saying that China “emphasises to promote peace and dialogue, and is willing to strengthen communication with the European Union and persevere in finding a political solution”. Is.”
Wang also met with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Munich and said his country wanted “peace and dialogue”.
According to China’s Foreign Ministry, Wang also told Kuleba: “We do not want to see the Ukrainian crisis prolong and extend, and we will work with the international community to prevent further deterioration of the situation and strive for peace.” are ready to.”
Wang also met Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra, Xinhua News Agency reported. The Chinese diplomat said he hoped the Netherlands would “play a positive role in ensuring the stability of the global industrial and supply chain and promoting global economic recovery.”
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