China, EU need to make the right choice as ‘two big guys' on world stage, says Xi Jinping

The Star

27-07-2025

At a meeting in Beijing recently, President Xi Jinping urged European leaders to 'make the right strategic choice' as the world grapples with profound changes.
He made the remarks to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, who are in Beijing for a summit that some Chinese analysts expect to be tone-setting for China-EU relations.
'Amid the accelerating transformation unseen in a century and an international landscape fraught with turbulence and transformation, China and Europe must once again demonstrate vision and responsibility by making the right strategic choices that meet people's expectations and stand the test of history,' Xi said.
The first face-to-face EU-China summit since December 2023 convenes as the two sides mark 50 years of diplomatic relations, though celebrations are tempered by escalating trade disputes.
Beijing is seeking to present itself as a stable alternative partner for Europe, particularly as US President Donald Trump has slapped steep tariffs on the 27-nation bloc.
He added that the two sides should reinforce their partnership as a cornerstone in bilateral ties, saying that the West should judge China in a correct way, according to a Chinese statement released after his meeting with senior EU officials.
'If China is measured by the paths taken by the West, perceptions of China will inevitably be skewed,' Xi said, adding that the challenges Europe was facing 'were not from China'.
'It is our hope that Europe will likewise respect China's chosen development path and political system, duly acknowledge China's core interests and major concerns, and support China's pursuit of development and prosperity.'
Xi also stressed the autonomy of China-EU relations, which he said were 'not targeted at, dependent on, nor subject to any third party'.
'The two sides should enhance strategic communication, strengthen mutual understanding and trust, and foster a correct perception of each other,' the Chinese leader said.
Xi described China and the European Union as 'two big guys' in the world, adding that they should combine their efforts to 'firmly grasp the right direction of China-Europe relations and work together to usher in an even brighter next 50 years'.
'China and the EU must once again demonstrate foresight and responsibility, making strategic choices that meet the expectations of their peoples and stand the test of history.'
In his opening remarks, Costa reaffirmed that the EU was committed to 'deepening our bilateral partnership, making concrete progress in addressing concerns with respect, goodwill and honesty and working together to uphold multilateralism'.
However, he added that the two sides needed 'concrete progress' to address challenges in trade and the economy, according to an official transcript.
'We need concrete progress on issues related to trade and economy. We both want our relationship to be balanced, reciprocal and mutually beneficial,' he said. Costa also raised the hope of reaching a deal with China on climate change after Thursday's meeting.
'Our cooperation on climate change is an important example, and I look forward, as a result of today's summit, to a strong joint political message ahead of Cop30 in Brazil,' he said.
In her remarks, von der Leyen referred to the growing imbalances and declared that the relationship was at an 'inflection point'.
'Rebalancing our bilateral relationship is essential. Because to be sustainable, relations need to be mutually beneficial,' von der Leyen said, adding that it was 'vital' for both China and Europe to acknowledge respective concerns so as to come forward with real solutions.
She also reaffirmed the EU's strong commitment to the Paris Agreement, the climate change treaty Trump ordered the US to quit when he returned to the White House in January.
After a meeting with Premier Li Qiang in the afternoon, the two sides released a joint statement on climate change, which is widely seen as one of the few areas where the two sides might make progress.
While China and the EU agreed that they would lead global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with pledges of cooperation in green technologies, the seven-point document offered no concrete actions or goals.
Still, it could offer a much-needed confidence boost in Beijing and Brussels' ability to cut their emissions further before the Cop30 UN climate change summit in Brazil in November.
'Joining forces here will send a powerful message to the world,' von der Leyen said about climate change cooperation during the meeting with Li.
In the meeting at the Great Hall of the People, Xi also tried to ease concerns on the trade imbalance but said that the European Union's push to 'reduce dependence' on China should not undermine bilateral cooperation.
'The essence of China-EU economic and trade relations is complementary advantages and mutual benefit and it should be, and is entirely possible to achieve, a dynamic balance in the course of development.'
Despite their shared concerns over Trump's unpredictable and aggressive tariff and security policies, tensions have been mounting between China and the EU on areas from trade to security.
The EU, which has long complained about China's lack of progress to ensure a level playing field for a balanced economic and trade relationship, has increased tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) to as much as 45 per cent for state-subsidised Chinese manufacturers.
Meanwhile, China's recent restrictions on rare earth exports – introduced during the trade war with the US – have added to the frustration in Europe as industries have faced an 'alarming situation' due to a shortage of the minerals, which are essential to making everything from EVs to military tanks and aircraft.
China's deep ties with Russia also cast a shadow, with senior officials in Brussels, including von der Leyen, openly accusing Beijing of supporting Moscow in its prolonged war in Ukraine.
In a move that touched a nerve in Europe, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told EU officials earlier this month that Beijing did not want to see Moscow lose the war because it feared the US could then shift more attention to China.
While expectations for a breakthrough in Thursday's meeting have been low, there is hope that the talks could be a tone-setting moment for China-EU relations.
Earlier on Thursday, von der Leyen said on social media that Thursday's summit was 'the opportunity to both advance and rebalance our relationship'.
'I'm convinced there can be a mutually beneficial cooperation. One that can define the next 50 years of our relations,' she wrote.
Cui Hongjian, head of European Union studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said Beijing and Brussels should use the occasion to establish a shared understanding of their 50-year relationship and outline guiding principles to drive the relationship forward.
'It is hoped that Beijing and Brussels can come up with better and pragmatic ways to manage the interplay of competition and cooperation alongside the bilateral relationship – whether in trade or geopolitical differences – and turn competition into new opportunities for collaboration,' he said.
'I believe this highest level engagement will mark the start of a new phase in bilateral ties, where they must work to find a mutually acceptable way to engage meaningfully.'
The meeting offers both China and the European Union a valuable opportunity to understand the concerns and priorities of each side, according to Feng Zhongping, director of the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
'China-EU relations are still undergoing changes, and we should view them objectively. They have cooperation and competition at the same time, but both sides have the willingness to engage in dialogue and negotiate,' Feng said.
Cui, a former Chinese diplomat, said the two sides should 'adjust their previous approaches to communication and cooperation'.
Noting the cancellation of a high-level EU-China economic and trade dialogue earlier this year, Cui said there had been a gap in terms of each side's goal for the talks, with Brussels seeking tangible outcomes and Beijing viewing the dialogue as a platform for talks, cooperation and management of competition.
'If high-level dialogues are no longer Europe's preferred approach, the critical question is whether China and the EU can identify a mutually acceptable framework to address their persistent challenges.'
Observers in Europe said they were less optimistic about the future of bilateral relations.
Abigael Vasselier, director of policy and European affairs at the Mercator Institute for China Studies, said on Monday that Europe was entering the summit 'with no illusion that it is going to be a deal-making moment', given that there was a mismatch over various disputes.
She said she expected the summit would not change the long-term course of EU-China ties, which were deeply troubled by structural issues. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST