Chinese Foreign Minister: The Difficulties Facing Europe Do Not Come from Beijing

SadaNews - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday that he informed his German and French counterparts that his country is not responsible for the problems facing Europe and called for more cooperation, according to his office.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that Wang Yi met with his German counterpart Johan Wadephol and French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot on Friday on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in southern Germany.

According to Wang Yi's office, he said, "The two sides are partners, not adversaries. Mutual reliance does not pose a risk, converging interests do not constitute a threat, and open cooperation will not harm security."

He added that "China's development represents an opportunity for Europe, and the difficulties facing Europe do not come from China."

Wang sought to promote China as a reliable partner for the European Union as Brussels attempts to reduce its dependence on both China and the United States.

The European Union is concerned about the widening trade deficit with China, the latter flooding the European market with its goods due to its production surpluses and trade restrictions with the United States, as well as strengthening its relations with Russia, which is waging war in Ukraine.

Wang Yi expressed hope that "Europe will adopt a rational and pragmatic policy towards China."

Wang also met separately with Wadephol and his British counterpart Yvette Cooper. He praised economic and trade cooperation as the "cornerstone of Chinese-German relations." He stated that Beijing and London should "explore possibilities for enhancing cooperation." The minister also discussed the files of Ukraine and Iran with Cooper, according to his office.