China Calls for Strategic Partnership with EU Amid Trade Tensions

China seeks to position itself as a partner rather than a rival to the European Union, responding to shifting geopolitical dynamics and U.S. trade policies. China's ambassador to Spain, Yao Jing, emphasizes the importance of partnership and collaboration, advocating for reduced export controls and tariffs between China and Europe.

In an era of shifting geopolitical landscapes, China aims to redefine its relationship with the European Union from that of a rival to a partner, according to Yao Jing, the country's ambassador to Spain. In a candid conversation with Reuters, Yao critiqued the current EU strategy that pegs China as an 'economic competitor and systemic rival,' highlighting instead the mutual benefits of a partnership focused on open markets and rule-based trade.

This comes in the wake of heightened tensions stemming from Washington's trade policies under President Donald Trump, which Yao terms as 'unilateral economic abuse.' The ambassador expressed appreciation for the EU's commitment to multilateralism, contrasting it with the isolationist stance he attributes to the U.S. The recent meeting between Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Chinese President Xi Jinping is seen as a strategic move to bolster ties, countering warnings from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent against closer EU-China relations.

Urging the EU to lift export controls on technology goods and providing unhindered access to Chinese companies like Huawei, Yao pointed to mutual economic interests, such as access to Spain's pork market, as the way forward. China's 'open door' policy, he proposed, will foster gradual progress in addressing the EU's trade deficit, reinforcing ties amidst global economic uncertainties.

(With inputs from agencies.)