China's Xi ready to work with EU to expand ties, handle friction
China said it would welcome visits by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (left) and European Council President Antonio Costa. PHOTO: REUTERS
BEIJING - President Xi Jinping said China was ready to work with European Union leaders to expand mutual openness and properly handle frictions and differences, the official Xinhua news agency reported on May 6.
The remarks come on the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and the European Union as they work to thaw ties amid global trade uncertainty fuelled by sweeping US tariffs.
Mr Xi did not mention the United States in his remarks, but Beijing has been keen to forge closer economic and political links with Europe to limit the damage from President Donald Trump's tariffs on most of its exports to the United States.
'Healthy, stable China-EU ties not only promote mutual achievements, but also illuminate the world,' he said.
Mr Xi also called on the EU to jointly safeguard fairness and justice, and oppose unilateral bullying, describing their relations as one of the world's most influential, Xinhua added.
China said it would welcome visits by European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at an appropriate time to jointly hold a new round of meeting of leaders of both sides.
China and the EU will hold high-level dialogues on strategy, economy and trade, green development and digitalisation among a series of events in 2025, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a press conference on May 6.
The ministry also confirmed that China and the European Parliament had decided to free up mutual exchanges.
Last week, the EU said China would lift sanctions on members of the European Parliament and its subcommittee on human rights. The sanctions were imposed in 2021 over Western measures against Chinese officials accused of the mass detention of Muslim Uyghurs in the far western region of Xinjiang.
'Under the current circumstances, both sides believe it is very important for China and Europe to strengthen dialogue and cooperation,' Mr Lin, the ministry spokesperson, told reporters.
He expressed confidence that renewed talks would 'inject new impetus' in the development of China-EU relations. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
17 minutes ago
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - Open for Business: U.S, China wrap up trade talks in London, keeping tariff truce alive
CNA938 Rewind Play United States and Chinese officials wrap up their talks in London, agreeing on a framework to put their trade truce back on track and remove China's export restrictions on rare earths while offering little sign of a durable resolution to longstanding trade differences. Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman get the latest from Kevin Chen, Associate Research Fellow in the US programme at RSIS.
Business Times
34 minutes ago
- Business Times
Gold prices climb as Middle East tensions rise, US inflation eases
GOLD prices rose on Thursday, as rising Middle East tensions boosted demand for safe-haven assets, while softer-than-expected US inflation data raised expectations of potential interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. Spot gold was up 0.3 per cent at US$3,364.10 an ounce, as of 0017 GMT. US gold futures gained 1.2 per cent to US$3,384.40. The US dollar index edged 0.1 per cent lower, making greenback-priced bullion less expensive for overseas buyers. Gold prices gained as investors sought safe-haven assets amid rising geopolitical uncertainty sparked by US President Donald Trump's comments that US personnel were being relocated from the Middle East due to heightened risks. The US data prompted renewed calls from Trump for the Fed to implement significant rate cuts. Data showed the Consumer Price Index rose 0.1 per cent in May, below economists' expectations of 0.2 per cent, as lower petrol prices partially offset increases in rent. However, inflation is expected to accelerate in the coming months due to import tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Traders now expect a 50-basis-point rate cut by the year-end, with market participants awaiting US producer price index data, due at 1230 GMT, for additional signals on the Fed's policy path ahead of its June 17-18 meeting. Meanwhile, Trump said on Wednesday that a deal to restore a fragile truce in the US-China trade war had been reached after negotiators from Washington and Beijing agreed on a framework covering tariff rates. Trump added that he would be willing to extend a July 8 deadline for completing trade talks with other countries before higher US tariffs take effect but did not believe that would be necessary. Elsewhere, spot silver was up 0.3 per cent at US$36.32 per ounce, platinum rose 0.8 per cent to US$1,265.32, still hovering near more than a four-year high, while palladium was down 1 per cent at US$1,069.65. REUTERS
Straits Times
40 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Chinese fighter jets flew unusually close to Japanese patrol planes
TOKYO - Chinese fighter jets flew unusually close to Japanese military patrol planes over the weekend as two Chinese aircraft carriers operated in the Pacific Ocean for the first time, Japan's defence ministry said late on Wednesday. On Saturday, a Chinese J-15 jet from the aircraft carrier Shandong chased a Japanese P-3C patrol aircraft for about 40 minutes, the ministry said. On Sunday, a J-15 chased a P-3C for 80 minutes, crossing in front of the Japanese aircraft at a distance of only 900 meters (2,950 feet), it said. At one point on both days, a Chinese J-15 flew as close as 45 meters to a Japanese aircraft, the ministry said. The P-3C aircraft, belonging to Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force based in the island of Okinawa, were conducting surveillance over international waters in the Pacific, the ministry said. "Such abnormal approaches by Chinese military aircraft could potentially cause accidental collisions, and we have expressed serious concern and strongly requested prevention of recurrence," the ministry said, attaching close-up images of the J-15 jet it took on Sunday. Earlier this week, Tokyo said the Shandong and another Chinese carrier the Liaoning were conducting simultaneous operations in the Pacific for the first time, describing it as a move signifying Beijing's intention to further widen its capabilities beyond its borders. Beijing on Tuesday said the operations were a "routine training" exercise that did not target specific countries. In 2014, Tokyo said it spotted Chinese military aircraft flying as close as 30 metres to its military aircraft over the East China Sea and protested to Beijing. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
