China EU relations

TheMK sports Korea phone conversation between Chinese President Xi Jinping and European Council President Antonio Costa has charted the course forward and identified priorities for bilateral relations in the years to come, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. 

China looks forward to working with the EU to implement the important common understandings between the two leaders, enhance strategic mutual trust, uphold partnership, seek mutual benefits, expand opening up and cooperation, defend multilateralism, uphold mutual respect, seek common ground while shelving differences, step up communication and cooperation at various levels and in various fields, properly handle frictions and differences, achieve greater progress in bilateral ties, and make greater contributions to world peace, stability and prosperity,Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson from the ministry said at a routine press conference

The phone call points the way for the development of China-Europe relations, coinciding with the beginning of 2025, Costa's taking office, and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Europe, Zhao Junjie, senior research fellow at the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. 

In the phone conversation with Costa on Tuesday, Xi said that the more severe and complex the international situation becomes, the more China and Europe should adhere to the original aspirations of their diplomatic ties. Calling on both sides to strengthen strategic communication, enhance strategic mutual trust, and uphold their partnership, Xi said that China remains confident in the EU and hopes the EU will also prove to be a trustworthy cooperation partner for China, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Xi said that China has always regarded Europe as an important pole in a multipolar world, firmly supported European integration, and backed the EU's pursuit of strategic autonomy.

Costa said his first call with President Xi had been "constructive," according to an AFP report. "Marking the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations in 2025, I look forward to the next EU-China summit in Brussels later this year," Costa posted on social media platform BlueSky.

Seeking to develop ties with China provides a stable foundation for Europe in this increasingly uncertain world, Cui Hongjian, a professor at the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Wednesday. China-Europe relations have the potential to improve and become more resilient this year, he said.

The connotation of China-Europe relations is very rich. Although there are frictions in the economic and trade fields, both sides still share a basic consensus that communication and dialogue are effective ways to resolve differences. With joint efforts, it is believed that China and Europe can find reasonable solutions that enhance the common interests of both sides, Cui said.

Media has closely followed the intensifying high-level contacts between China and the bloc. Politico reported that hinting at such a EU-China summit "just days before Trump is inaugurated signals to Washington that the bloc wants to keep its options open toward Beijing." 

This year, the bloc will face a highly intense situation characterized by intertwined internal and external conflicts. Therefore, for Europe, establishing the China-Europe relationship as a stabilizing anchor is crucial. With this stabilizing anchor, the EU can more confidently address both internal and external challenges, Cui noted.