Amid disagreements over Ukraine, China bats for more institutional dialogues with European Union

Beijing [China], August 7 (ANI): China and the European Union (EU) should conduct more institutional dialogues to inject new and strong impetus into the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday, Xinhua reported.

This comes a month after China cancelled High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell’s visit over disagreements on the Ukraine conflict.

On Sunday, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks during a phone conversation with the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

Earlier in July this year, China cancelled European Union’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy Josep Borrell’s visit to Beijing, The Diplomat reported citing the EU.

The development came amid the ongoing disagreements between China and the EU over trade, human rights and the Ukraine conflict.

Josep Borrell was due to land in China on July 10 for talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and other officials.

The European Union said that China cancelled Borrell’s visit. However, they have had not revealed the reason behind the cancellation of the trip. 

Borrell stressed that he looks forward to visiting China as soon as possible and launching a strategic dialogue with the Chinese side to jointly prepare for this year’s EU-China leaders’ meeting and to promote the further development of EU-China relations, Xinhua reported.

Wang said at present, high-level exchanges between China and the EU have maintained a good momentum, and both sides believe that partnership is the most important feature of China-EU relations.

China has always taken a positive attitude in promoting China-EU relations, he noted, adding China attaches great importance to the China-EU leaders’ meeting scheduled for this year and expects it to play a strategic leading role in China-EU relations and bilateral cooperation.

China and the EU should conduct more institutional dialogues, so as to make up for the missing exchanges between China and the EU in the three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, and inject new and strong impetus into the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership, Wang said.

He also noted that China welcomes Borrell to lead a delegation to visit China this fall and hold a strategic dialogue to make political preparations for the China-EU leaders’ meeting through extensive and in-depth exchanges, Xinhua reported.

The two sides also exchanged views on Ukraine, Niger and other international and regional issues of common concern.