Mikołaj Woźniak, Konrad Falkowski
The end of Chinese limitations on milk export from Germany
In the first half of January 2025, cases of foot-and-mouth disease were detected in domestic cattle in Germany, more precisely in Märkisch-Oderland in Brandenburg. This disease is a highly contagious viral disease that attacks cloven-hoofed animals, such as cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. As a result, many countries trading with Germany decided to suspend the supply of such goods to their territories. One of these countries was also China.
However, as early as March, as reported by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, “after intensive negotiations, a new version of the veterinary certificate for heat-treated milk and dairy products was agreed with the People’s Republic of China”, which means that Germany can once again trade these goods with the Chinese. Cem Özdemir, the head of the aforementioned ministry, announced: “The rapid agreement with China on the new veterinary certificate is a real breakthrough and will help many companies gradually return to normal operations”. He emphasized the importance of China as a huge sales market for dairy products. As can be read from the announcement published on the ministry’s website, in 2023, Germany exported over 296 000 tons of milk and dairy products to the People’s Republic of China, which accounted for approximately 24.9% of the total export of these products. These calculations did not include the member states of the European Union. Therefore, Özdemir’s words that “with China, we have one of the largest and most important markets for our dairy products” are not surprising.
Wang Yi on China-EU relations
On March 7, Wang Yi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China expressed his views on relations between China and the European Union during a press conference. The head of Chinese diplomacy emphasized in his opening words that the year 2025 is marked by the round anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two sides. For 50 years, the EU and China have maintained relations, and in his opinion, this half-century is best described by the following epithets: “The most valuable asset is mutual respect, the most powerful impetus is mutual benefit, the greatest unifying consensus is multilateralism, and the most accurate characterization is cooperation partner”. Later in his speech, he presented the evolution of trade relations, which increased from $2.4 billion to $780 billion. Similarly, the level of investment increased “from almost zero to $260 billion.” He also drew attention to the China-Europe Railway Express initiative, which can currently handle 100,000 loads and “has become a golden passage connecting Asia and Europe.” Moreover, Wang admitted that cooperation between the two powerful economies of modern times is of considerable strategic importance and has a significant impact in the global context. “A healthy and stable relationship will lift up both sides and make for a brighter world,” Wang added.
Slovenian President’s interview for CGTN
On March 7, Chinese television CGTN published a short, 3-minute interview with Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar. The host asked her two questions. The first referred to Slovenia’s relations with China, while the second concerned Slovenia’s perception of China’s role in the modern world. Regarding the first question, Musar stated: “Slovenia always had a good relationship with China. Basically, we are trying to cooperate with everybody. Being a small-sized country, you know, it’s a necessity to be open-minded.” She then cited that improving relations between Ljubljana and Beijing have been progressing steadily for several years, as exemplified by Slovenian business delegations sent to China. She noted that she was aware of the existing trade deficit between her country and China, saying that this was an “obvious fact.” Regarding the second question, Musar first stated that “China’s role is a big role.” She emphasized that China is a superpower like the United States, “like some other big countries,” which is why such countries, in her opinion, have “high-level” obligations – here she cited the fact that China is a permanent member of the UN Security Council. So, |we must not discuss peace and security in this planet without China at the table”, she said. Furthermore, she presented her vision of China’s (and not only China’s) role in the world: “China and the rest of the superpowers have to do whatever is necessary no to put us in another catastrophe. I do not want the Third World War.” Later in her speech, she recalled that the world after 1945 is a world in which certain principles have been established, such as respect for the sovereignty and integrity of states and that war is prohibited by international law. Therefore, in her opinion, “fundamental principles cannot be neglected.” The Slovenian president touched on a less obvious topic at the end of her speech, flowing from war to the concept of a common enemy: “When we do discuss enemies on this planet, we only have one common one and that’s the climate crisis.” She stated that China is doing a lot when it comes to green transformation. In this way, she criticized US President Donald Trump’s desire to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. She added at the end that “multilateralism is something that we have to believe in because this is something which could bring prosperity and peace.” In a sense, she expressed her approval of the Chinese narrative regarding multilateralism in the contemporary order. However, the multilateralism, prosperity and peace promoted by the PRC are concepts so broad that differences in interpretation can only appear with deeper analysis, and not with slogans thrown around.
Lithuania is ready to send its envoy to China but there is one condition
Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas announced on March 10 that his country was ready to send its ambassador or some other kind of diplomatic representative to China only if China did the same to Lithuania. Paluckas called this a “goal” but stressed that “it doesn’t mean we’re going to make any sacrifices.”
The Lithuanian Prime Minister’s words are a kind of commentary on the words of another Lithuanian official. We are talking about Darius Jauniškis, the head of the Lithuanian State Security Department (VSD). A few days earlier, Jauniškis expressed his opinion on attempts to restore Lithuanian-Chinese relations under the rule of the new coalition. Namely, he does not believe that China would ever “forgive Lithuania for recognizing Taiwan and, as they imagine, destroying their unity and the idea of one China.” He further added that “the warming of relations should not take place at the expense of Lithuania.” The VSD head noted that “even an apology from China would not improve relations between Vilnius and Beijing.” It would simply be a humiliation and a great defeat of foreign policy,” Jauniškis implied.
Returning to the Lithuanian Prime Minister’s statement, he referred to the words of the VSD chief and emphasized that Lithuania does not intend to withdraw from anything. Paluckas listed all the “ifs” and “woulds” referring to Lithuania’s humiliation or sacrifice, concluding with the words: “No one is planning to do that.”
Chinese factories in Hungary
In the first half of March, the Chinese optical cable factory ZettaNet was opened in Kisbér, located in northwestern Hungary. The investment was co-financed by the Chinese concern Fiberhome in the amount of around EUR 20 million. During the opening ceremony, which took place on March 11, the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Levente Magyar, emphasized that Hungary enthusiastically welcomes Chinese investments. He added that Hungarian policy is making every effort to ensure that China sees Hungary as a worthy partner. The Secretary of State for Regional Development, Judit Czunyiné Bertalan, also took the floor after her speech, noting that the Komárom-Esztergom district is the third best developing region in the country. She also emphasised that the ZettaNet factory is located in one of Hungary’s key logistics regions.
The planned investment by the Fiberhome subsidiary was announced in April 2024 during a visit to Beijing by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó. At that time, it was announced that Hungary would provide 15% financial support for the implementation of this undertaking. Just a few days later, on March 20, the issue of the planned construction of a factory by the Chinese automotive manufacturer BYD in Hungary flared up again. The European Commission’s report shows that the investigation into this matter is at an early stage. The aim of the investigation is to determine whether the construction of the BYD factory was financially supported by the Chinese government. If Brussels manages to confirm these suspicions, BYD may be required to sell part of its assets, reduce production capacity, return subsidies, and may be fined for failure to fulfill its obligations. The Commission’s findings to date show that BYD used Chinese labour to build a factory in Hungary and also plans to import most of the components for the production of electric vehicles, including batteries, directly from China. The Commission emphasises that such actions can only bring symbolic economic growth for Hungary and the entire European Union.
The Hungarian Minister for European Union János Bóka reacted to the Commission’s actions. He stated that Budapest had not been officially informed about the opening of the investigation. However, he added that he was not surprised because, as he noted, any significant investment in the country “very quickly comes under the Commission’s radar,” suggesting that this may be related to Hungary’s geographical proximity to Ukraine. The Minister also assured that Hungary is taking a calm approach to the matter because the government thoroughly verifies all aspects related to foreign investments. The estimated value of the investment is around EUR 4 billion, and the factory is planned to create around 10,000 jobs.
This is not the first investigation into BYD. Last October, the European Commission found that BYD and other Chinese carmakers had benefited from Chinese government subsidies, leading to the imposition of 17 percent tariffs on imports of Chinese vehicles manufactured by the company.
Huawei and the corruption scandal in the EU
In mid-March, a case involving possible illegal practices by Huawei was revealed. The Belgian prosecutor’s office announced that several people had been detained as a result of the investigation. They are accused of bribing the European Parliament on behalf of the Chinese company. According to POLITCO, the case is reminiscent of the Qatargate corruption scandal from 2022, in which several MEPs were also detained.
As reported by the Belgian federal prosecutor’s office on March 13, the initial charges concern corruption, document forgery and money laundering. Investigators suspect that the illegal activities have been ongoing since 2021. Everything was supposed to be done discreetly, under the guise of lobbying activities. The charges included payments to influence political decisions, expensive gifts, paid trips (including to China), invitations to football matches and cash.
During the investigation, 21 locations in Brussels, Flanders, Wallonia and Portugal were searched. According to journalists from the Dutch “Follow The Money” and the Belgian “Le Soir” and “Knack”, the prosecutor’s office is investigating the activities of 15 current and former MEPs. The main suspect is said to be a senior Huawei lobbyist in Brussels. The judge in charge of the case ordered the sealing of two MEP assistants’ offices. The first office belongs to the Italian delegation of the European People’s Party (EPP), associated with long-time MEP Fulvio Martusciello and his colleague Marco Falcone. The second is an office that is part of the Bulgarian delegation to the Renew Europe group. It belonged to Adam Mouchtar, assistant to newly elected MEP Nikola Minchev. Mouchtar was also a co-founder of the EU40 group, chaired by Eva Kaili – a key figure in the Qatargate scandal.
The European Parliament confirmed that it had received an official request for cooperation from the Belgian authorities. Together with the European Commission, it has blacklisted Huawei. This means that the company’s representatives will be immediately suspended from access to the Parliament buildings in Brussels, Strasbourg, Luxembourg and offices in EU countries. The Parliament spokesman stressed that the ban is temporary and will apply until the investigation is completed. Transparency spokesman Olof Gill said that the European Commission and its departments have also been ordered to suspend all contacts with Huawei until further notice.
Huawei responded with a statement saying it takes the allegations seriously and will contact the appropriate authorities. Huawei has a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption or other wrongdoing, and we are committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations at all times,” the declaration said.
Huawei has been controversial for years. The company is considered a tool of influence for the Chinese government, which – according to many analysts – supports it financially. In addition to its unclear ownership structure, its activity in Europe attracts attention. In the second decade of the 21st century, Huawei invested millions of euros in lobbying and PR activities in the European Union. The company took care of the image of a “friendly partner”: it organized lavish parties, such as the one for Chinese New Year at the Concert Noble in Brussels, handed out smartphones as gifts and maintained close relations with decision-makers. Lobbying expenses are estimated to have been around €3 million between 2018 and 2020, and around €2.5 million between 2021 and 2023. After 2019, when Western countries began to restrict the use of Huawei equipment due to concerns about espionage, the company tried to counteract these activities by hiring former journalists and politicians with access to governments, offering them very high salaries.
In disguise of a “friendly partner,” Huawei has been embroiled in numerous scandals and investigations, including in France, where the company was placed under investigation involving a former minister and a member of the European Parliament. The company’s international operations are also worth noting. Over the past decade, Huawei’s management team has been repeatedly accused of intelligence activities, including in Poland, where allegations of espionage have emerged. The company has also been accused of using “back doors” in IT systems made available to the African Union, which allegedly allowed access to confidential documents and conversations. Huawei has also been accused of circumventing sanctions imposed by the United States.
Despite this, Huawei’s influence in Europe has begun to wane. In 2023, the European Commission announced moves to block Huawei and ZTE from funding research and contracts. The company lost many of its lobbyists and communications officials after that. However, in October 2024, Huawei reported that it still had 11 full-time lobbyists in the EU, nine of whom were accredited to the European Parliament. At its peak, it had 21.
Does Xi Jinping reject the invitation for the upcoming EU-China summit in Brussels?
The Financial Times published an article on March 16 claiming that Chinese President Xi Jinping does not intend to attend the ceremonial, jubilee EU-China summit, which is to be held this year in Brussels. The Financial Times reporters support their reports with statements from people from the “inside”. In this context, Beijing allegedly told EU representatives that the second person in the Chinese state, Premier Li Qiang, would attend the summit in Brussels. According to people familiar with the issue, it is usually the prime minister who comes to the summit in Europe, while in China it is Xi who leads the event. However, the currently planned summit is unique because it will be “celebrating” half a century of EU-China relations, which is why the European side was counting on Xi’s presence.
Reuters also sent its own inquiry about the presence of the Chinese chairman in Brussels. The journalists asked both the Chinese and European sides. The Chinese were not effusive and did not comment on the matter, while the EU, in the words of one official, responded very generally: “Informal discussions are ongoing, both about setting the date for the EU-China summit this year and the level of representation”.
Wang Yi-Emmanuel Bonne telephone conversation
On March 18, the Chinese Foreign Minister held a telephone conversation with Emmanuel Bonn, the French President’s diplomatic advisor, “at the latter’s request,” according to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Wang noted that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and China and France should strengthen their strategic communication. Therefore, China is ready to maintain close high-level contacts with France, deepen strategic cooperation, uphold “true multilateralism”, and protect the position of the United Nations. Furthermore, China is willing to work with France to maintain the current international trade order, safeguard the flow of global industrial and supply chains, oppose “unipolar hegemony” and the placing of individual interests of states above the interests of the international community as a whole, and ultimately “prevent the world from returning to the law of the jungle.” Wang also drew attention to Beijing-Brussels relations during these turbulent times, implying that existing economic and trade frictions should be buried and a negotiated agreement reached. China looks to France to serve as a suitable link on the above issue “to send a positive signal of unity and cooperation and promote the sound and stable development of China-France and China-Europe relations”.
Bonne, for his part, said France highly values the status of bilateral relations. And especially in this complex international situation, he expects high-level strategic exchanges and communication to be maintained. According to the Chinese statement, Bonne said that “France opposes trade wars and tariff wars, and is ready to properly resolve economic and trade frictions through consultations with China, promote balanced and sustainable development of economic and trade relations between France and China and also between Europe and China, and safeguard the international economic and trade system based on the World Trade Organization’s rules.”
An important topic, and probably the one that provoked the entire conversation, was the problem of the war in Ukraine. Bonne presented the situation as France sees it, adding the desire to deepen cooperation with China, and also expressed hope that the People’s Republic of China will “play an important role in reaching a just, stable and sustainable peace agreement.” Wang, in turn, emphasized that China has consistently, since the outbreak of the war, supported “resolving the crisis through dialogue and negotiation”. He added immediately afterwards: “At the same time, this process should respect the will of the parties concerned, should not be imposed by a third party, nor should it only serve the interests of any particular country”. Thus, China stands on the side of a ” a fair, lasting and binding peace agreement” that each of the parties concerned will accept. Finally, Wang announced that Beijing is ready to continue cooperation on this issue with everyone, including Europe. The communiqué also indicates that the interlocutors exchanged views on the Iranian nuclear issue, but this part of the conversation itself was not developed in any way.
Meeting of Wang Wentao and Oliver Zipse
On March 22, a meeting was held in Beijing between the Minister of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, Wang Wentao, and the CEO of the German automotive giant BMW, Oliver Zipse. The topics discussed at the meeting were primarily cooperation between BMW and China, as well as the ongoing EU anti-subsidy investigations and countervailing duties on electric cars of Chinese origin.
Wang made it clear that the protectionist moves by “certain countries” are definitely contributing to “uncertainty to the global economy.” He expressed hope that the European Union, in cooperation with China, will become “a pillar of the multilateral trading system, injecting certainty and stability into the world.” He then pointed out that the Chinese market remains open and the Chinese government itself will support this open business environment. Moreover, China hopes that all disagreements and tensions between Beijing and Brussels will be resolved through dialogue, and that the German automotive giant will “continue to play an active role in promoting the European side to demonstrate political will and work with China to find mutually acceptable solutions.”
For his part, Zipse pointed out the dependence that without cooperation with China, the European green transformation cannot succeed. The company itself shows a certain optimism when it comes to the prospects of cooperation with China, “and is confident in its development in the [Chinese] market.” Saying more, the BMW boss added, it is taking successive steps to increase its investment share in China and is striving to accelerate the localization of production, as well as research and development work. Finally, he announced that in the event of a customs war, there are no winners, only losers, and BMW as a company opposes the imposition of further tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles by the EU. Zipse’s hope is also that the EU and China can “properly resolve their differences.”
President of the Italian Senate in China
Ignazio La Russa, the president of the Italian Senate, went to China on an official diplomatic visit. The main purpose of the visit, according to a statement from the Italian website Agenzia Nova, was to consolidate “the process of rebalancing bilateral relations initiated by the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after Italy’s withdrawal from the New Silk Road.”
First, he met with the current chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, Zhao Leji, with whom he discussed the latest developments in Ukraine and the Middle East. He also added that Rome and Beijing are able to play the role of “builders of peace, progress, cohesion and friendship” and together overcome “the difficulties that may exist in international relations to consolidate a time of peace and prosperity.” For his part, Zhao appreciated that Italy respects the principle of “one China”. He further said that China is willing to use the potential of bilateral cooperation in shipbuilding, aviation and new energy, as well as in culture, art, tourism and education. He also referred to relations with the European Union, hoping that in the face of the 50th anniversary of EU-China relations, these relations will be developed, and Italy will “continue to play a positive role in this regard.”
The next day, La Russa met with another Chinese official, this time Vice-President Han Zheng. The subject of the conversation was not much different from the one with Zhao. Han emphasized that China wants to work with China to make “a more mature, stable, open and mutually beneficial relationship with a strategic and long-term perspective.” La Russa, in turn, stated – according to the Chinese note – that by visiting China, he “could fully feel the vitality and achievements of China’s development.” Moreover, he noted that Italy is ready to strengthen “all-round friendly cooperation,” while emphasizing the ancient roots of both Italy and China, which can “make new contributions to world peace and development.”
The Italian Senate President continued his visit to China in Shanghai, where he met with local Chinese Communist Party officials such as Chen Jining and Huang Lixin. After these talks, La Russa said: “It was a very interesting experience to be able to exchange opinions from positions that were apparently distant, but that made us understand how necessary a link between our visions of the world, between our political histories is.” As part of his visit to Shanghai, La Russa also stopped by “Casa Ferrari,” where he met with Giuseppe Cattaneo, the designated head of Ferrari in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. The Italian Senate President stated that the venue “perfectly embodies the elegance and tradition of the Ferrari brand […] bringing Italian tradition to every corner of the planet.”
Paulo Rangel and Wang Yi
On March 25, Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in China. The event was dubbed the second China-Portugal strategic dialogue at the foreign ministers’ level. The first topic of the conversation was to emphasize the proper resolution of the Macao issue “with political wisdom, setting a good example of resolving issues left over from history through friendly consultation,” Wang said. Rangel also confirmed this, according to the press release, saying that “both sides have peacefully resolved the Macao issue, setting an example to the world, which Portugal is very proud of.” This was a pretext to raise the issue of relations between China and the European Union. Rangel also confirmed this, according to the Chinese press release, saying that “the two sides have resolved the question of Macao peacefully, setting an example for the world, of which Portugal is highly proud.” This was a pretext to raise the issue of relations between China and the European Union. Wang, referring to the 20th anniversary of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Portugal and the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations with the European Union, indicated that China is ready to “work with Portugal to build a more stable, fruitful and dynamic China-Portugal relationship and make China and the EU strategic partners who trust each other and help each other succeed.” Therefore, China opposes unipolarity in the contemporary international system and advocates for an “or an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.” He added that China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Portugal to this end. Furthermore, he emphasized that China regards the European Union as an important pole in the multipolar world and expresses its support for building European strategic autonomy, which will help “expand openness and cooperation, and promote the sound development of China-Europe relations.” Portugal would play a “positive role in this regard.”
Rangel, in addition to confirming the smooth handling of the colonial issue of Macao, also said that bilateral relations between Portugal and China “have maintained sound development.” He further noted that “China is a reliable partner” and that his country “attaches great importance to its relations with China and firmly pursues the one-China policy.” As can be read in the Chinese statement, Rangel invites Chinese companies to Portugal to invest in its territory. Portugal is also willing to strengthen cooperation in the areas of economy, trade, energy, health, as well as finance, infrastructure and green transformation. He also stressed the need to develop educational relations, as more and more Portuguese are learning Chinese. As for the issue of EU-China relations, the Portuguese Foreign Minister said that both sides should continue their partnership and strengthen it through dialogue, cooperation and mutual understanding. Moreover, they should not fall into protectionist policies but should maintain multilateralism and the status of the UN in the modern world.
At the end of the note there was one more, sparingly worded sentence about the war in Ukraine: “The two sides had an exchange of views on the Ukraine crisis and other issues of common interest and concern”.
Maroš Šefčovič in China
Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, met with Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China He Lifeng in Beijing on 27 March. As could be learned from the announcement of his trip, Šefčovič expressed his intentions regarding his visit to the Middle Kingdom. He admitted that China remains an important partner for the European Union, and his intentions were:
- proactively engaging in areas of divergence between Brussels and Beijing;
- identifying EU concerns related to equal opportunities and impact on the Union, which cannot be left unaddressed;
- developing solutions to specific market access issues;
- discussing how Chinese foreign direct investment in the EU can provide active support for the development of European Union value chains and technologies.
Peggy Corlin from Euronews attempted to interpret the intentions of the EU Commissioner. In this way, she stated in five points that the European Union:
- sends a signal to Washington that it is able to reach an understanding with China while the US is antagonizing its allies;
- plans to re-establish diplomatic dialogue, which would mainly concern the issue of Chinese electric vehicles and risk reduction policy more broadly;
- attempts to persuade China to take action on its overcapacity, which poses a threat to the European market;
- wants to remove barriers for European companies whose operations in China are hampered by domestic regulations;
- seeks to attract more Chinese investments, but with the reservation that this should be done on EU principles.
According to the European report, during the conversation with Chinese officials, Šefčovič discussed issues related to plans to improve and balance trade and investment relations between the EU and China, including the need to level the playing field for European companies on the Chinese market. He raised the related issue of access to the PRC market. As well as the issue of investment in the electric vehicle supply chain.
If we talk about the discussion with He Lifeng the EU note does not serve too much information. More about it can be learned from the announcement of the second side. He told his European interlocutor that “China is willing to work with the EU to strengthen dialogue and exchange, handle economic and trade differences in the proper manner, expand mutual openness, and promote the healthy, stable development of China-EU economic and trade relations.” He also pointed out that 2025 is an anniversary year in the history of Sino-European relations, which is why the Vice Premier of the PRC announced that Beijing is ready to cooperate with the European Union to implement ” the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two sides.” Moreover, China hopes that together with the EU, they will stand against “unilateralism and protectionism” and jointly protect the multilateral trading system.
As for Šefčovič’s statements, he stressed that China is “an important partner for the EU”. The 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the EU and China – in his opinion – is also a good opportunity “to deepen economic and trade cooperation.” Moreover, he added that both sides should resolve their disputes and disagreements through “dialogue and consultations.”
In the case of the conversation with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, both sides agreed to monitor their discussions “through regular contact to provide political steer and ensure adequate progress on all discussed files, including the key market access issues raised by the EU.” Moreover, they confirmed their willingness to engage in dialogue on “all trade and investment issues” related to the supply of Chinese electric vehicles, in order to “provide greater contribution to long-term European competitiveness and quality jobs.”
As for the customs secretary, Šefčovič reached an agreement with her in the context of establishing a working group on access to the agri-food market and carrying out an analysis on the revision of the 2024 EU-China Customs Cooperation and Mutual Assistance Agreement.
Jean-Noel Barrot in China
Also on March 27, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot arrived in China from the Old Continent, where he met in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and Chinese Premier Li Qiang. The planned visit had already been announced earlier in March, when the head of the French cognac lobbying group (BNIC) said that Barrot was to go on a trip to Asia, including China.
During the meeting with Wang, the issues of the war in Ukraine and the disputes between Brussels and Beijing were raised. According to Barrot, “China also has a role to play in convincing Russia to come to the negotiating table with serious and good-faith proposals,” which is not far from the narrative generally accepted in Europe about China’s importance in the development of this conflict. In addition, according to the Chinese statement, he stated that for both France and China it is not without significance to “strengthen strategic coordination, play their roles as major countries, and safeguard world peace and stability.” Referring to the Ukrainian issue, Barrot said that Europe “as an independent pole in the world” is ready to conduct a constructive dialogue with the Chinese in the name of strategic autonomy, as well as to cultivate the multipolarity of the modern order and protect peace. He also admitted that the European Union should resolve its disputes with China through consultations. And here we must move on to a more “private” issue for France, which is the Chinese tariffs on cognac. In defense of the French alcohol industry, Barrot announced that “our common objective is to obtain a rapid response on this issue.”
At the time of the conversation, Wang was supposed to reassure his interlocutor on this matter, but no formal steps have been taken so far. For his part, the Chinese Foreign Minister appealed for the need for cooperation between China and France, or saying more precisely: “Amid the changing and turbulent international landscape, the two sides should demonstrate the responsibility of major countries, oppose unilateralism with multilateralism.” He also further raised the issue of opposition to returning to the “law of the jungle.” As for economic matters, Wang assured Barrot that China wants to deepen cooperation in sectors considered traditional, but also open up new fields of opportunity in other areas, “to inject new momentum into China-France cooperation.”
In the case of the conversation between the head of French diplomacy and the Chinese premier, the topics were very similar. Li noted that “the world is currently not peaceful, and instability and uncertainty are increasing.” Hence, the obligation for both countries to strengthen communication and coordination, which would “inject more stability and certainty into the common development” not only of China and France, but also of the whole world. To which Barrot agreed, saying that we are indeed witnessing how the world is “going through troubled times where a number of major principles, particularly those of multilateralism, are being shaken.” Li also expressed hope that in the context of China’s relations with the European Union, France will play “a positive role” in trying to reach an agreement within the framework of the prevailing disputes. Finally, Barrot once again emphasized Europe’s pursuit of strategic independence. He announced that “a new Europe is rapidly emerging, its only compass being strategic autonomy.” The “new Europe” he mentioned is also to invest significantly “in its defense” and “in energy.”
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