Josep Borrell, the European Union’s (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, will visit China from the 12th to the 14th.
According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 11th, Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in a regular briefing that day, “At the invitation of Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Representative Borrell will visit China from the 12th to the 14th to participate in the 12th China-EU high-level strategic dialogue.” He said.
Spokesperson Wang also said, “Representative Borrell’s visit to China will be conducive to the healthy and stable development of relations between China and Europe, prepare for the next stage of high-level exchanges between the two sides, and create new opportunities for joint response to global challenges and safeguarding world peace and stability.” “It will inject momentum,” he emphasized.
He continued, “China and Europe are the world’s two largest powers, two largest markets, and two great civilizations, and have extensive common interests in areas such as protecting world peace, promoting development and prosperity, and advancing human civilization,” adding, “The relationship between China and Europe has an impact on the world.” “It is huge and has global significance,” he emphasized.
“China wants to maintain a comprehensive strategic partnership with Europe and strengthen strategic communication and policy cooperation,” he said. “I hope it will bring more benefits to the people and the world,” he added.
Representative Borrell’s visit to China comes amid a series of high-ranking EU officials visiting China.
Representative Borrell was originally scheduled to visit Beijing last April, but was postponed after being diagnosed with COVID-19. He was planning to visit China in July, but the visit was canceled due to China’s unilateral cancellation.
The successive visits by high-ranking EU officials to China are interpreted as preliminary preparations for the EU-China summit scheduled for the second half of this year.
As it is known that the EU plans to investigate unfair subsidies for steel products following Chinese electric vehicles, it is expected that the two sides will not easily narrow down their opinions.
Source: Donga
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