Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with President of the European Council Antonio Costa
and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, who are in China for the 25th China-EU Summit, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, July 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called on China
and the European Union (EU) to provide more stability
and certainty for the world through steady
and sound China-EU relations.
Xi made the remarks when meeting with President of the European Council Antonio Costa
and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, who are here for the 25th China-EU Summit in Beijing.
Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic ties,
and the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, Xi said China-EU relations have come to another critical juncture in history.
He said over the past 50 years, China
and the EU have achieved fruitful outcomes in exchanges
and cooperation, delivering mutual success
and worldwide benefits. An important understanding
and insight is that the two sides should respect each other, seek commonality while reserving differences, uphold openness
and cooperation,
and pursue mutual benefit.
These are also important principles
and the right direction for China-EU relations in the future, Xi said. Faced with accelerating global transformation not seen in a century
and a changing
and turbulent world, Chinese
and EU leaders should once again demonstrate vision
and leadership,
and make the right strategic choices that will meet people's expectations
and stand the scrutiny of history, he added.
Xi underscored the importance for China
and the EU, both constructive forces for multilateralism
and openness
and cooperation, to strengthen communication, enhance trust
and deepen cooperation in a more challenging
and complex international situation, in order to provide more stability
and certainty for the world through steady
and sound China-EU relations.
Xi put forward three propositions for the future development of China-EU relations.
Firstly, both sides should uphold mutual respect
and consolidate the positioning of China-EU relations as partnership.
China is a peace-loving country committed to harmony, inclusiveness, cooperation
and win-win results, Xi said. While China
and the EU differ in history
and culture, development paths
and systems,
and stages of development, such differences have never impeded the establishment of diplomatic relations or the growth of bilateral ties in the past, nor should they obstruct the development of bilateral relations in the future.
The current challenges facing the EU do not come from China,
and there are no fundamental conflicts of interest or geopolitical contradictions between China
and the EU, Xi said. The fundamentals
and prevailing trend of China-EU relations featuring cooperation over competition
and consensus over differences have remained constant.
China has always viewed
and developed China-EU relations from a strategic
and long-term perspective, regarded the EU as an important pole in a multipolar world,
and consistently supported European integration
and the strategic autonomy of the EU, he said.
Xi voiced hope that the EU will respect the path
and system chosen by the Chinese people, respect China's core interests
and major concerns,
and support its development
and prosperity.
China-EU relations are not targeted at, subjugated to, or controlled by any third party, Xi said. He called on both sides to deepen strategic communication, enhance understanding
and mutual trust,
and foster a correct perception of each other.
Secondly, the two sides should uphold openness
and cooperation,
and properly manage differences
and frictions, Xi said.
History
and reality show that interdependency is not a risk,
and convergent interests are not a threat, Xi noted, pointing out that boosting competitiveness should not rely on building walls or barriers, as decoupling
and severing supply chains will only result in self-isolation.
Xi said that "reducing dependency" should not lead to reducing China-EU cooperation. The bilateral economic
and trade relationship, which is by nature complementary
and mutually beneficial, can indeed achieve dynamic equilibrium through development, he said.
China's high-quality development
and opening-up will provide new opportunities
and potentials for China-EU cooperation, Xi noted, calling on both sides to strengthen green
and digital partnership,
and boost mutual investment
and cooperation.
It is hoped that the EU can remain open in trade
and investment market, refrain from using restrictive economic
and trade tools,
and foster a sound business environment for Chinese enterprises investing
and operating in the EU, Xi stressed.
Thirdly, Xi called on the two sides to practice multilateralism
and uphold the international rules
and order.
Confronted with the critical choice between war
and peace, competition
and cooperation, or seclusion
and openness, multilateralism
and solidarity-based cooperation remain the only viable approach, he said.
Xi said China
and the EU should jointly uphold the international rules
and order established after World War II, advance a more just
and equitable global governance system in keeping with the times,
and work together to address global challenges such as climate change.
Xi said China stands ready to strengthen coordination with the EU to ensure the success of this year's UN Climate Change Conference in Belem (COP30),
and contribute more to global climate response
and green transition. China is also willing to have policy exchanges
and practical cooperation with the EU in artificial intelligence,
and jointly advance an equal
and orderly multipolar world
and a universally beneficial
and inclusive economic globalization.
The EU side said that Xi's three propositions on EU-China relations are of vital importance. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations 50 years ago, the EU
and China have carried out cooperation in a wide range of fields, becoming each other's major cooperative
and trading partners. This has contributed to the economic prosperity of both parties
and the well-being of their peoples.
The EU leaders noted that China has emerged as a major manufacturing
and technological country, lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty. China's development has offered profound inspirations to the world,
and the EU believes that China will achieve greater development
and supports such efforts.
The EU
and China are major forces in the world,
and EU-China relations are of vital importance for both sides
and the world, they said. The EU is committed to deepening EU-China relations, managing differences in a constructive manner,
and achieving more positive outcomes in bilateral cooperation that is balanced, reciprocal
and mutually beneficial.
The EU does not seek "decoupling
and severing supply chains" from China
and welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest
and operate in Europe, they said.
They called on the two sides, faced with a turbulent
and uncertain world, to uphold multilateralism, safeguard the purposes
and principles of the UN Charter, address global challenges such as climate change, facilitate resolutions to regional hotspot issues,
and safeguard world peace
and stability.
The EU side looks forward to working with China to write an even more splendid chapter in the next 50 years of EU-China relations, they said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with President of the European Council Antonio Costa
and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, who are in China for the 25th China-EU Summit, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, July 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)
Editor：Evan
