China’s Foreign Minister Warns Europe: De-risking Against China Not in Your Best Interest

Wang Yi, Director of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Foreign Affairs Commission (also serving as the Foreign Minister), met with the French Foreign Minister, expressed China’s position by stating that France’s participation in the U.S.-led de-risking against China would not be in its best interest.

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry on the 1st, Wang emphasized during a meeting with French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné in Beijing that “there are no fundamental conflicts of interest or geopolitical strategic contradictions (problems) between China and Europe.” He stressed, “The correct status of China-Europe relations is partners, the main theme is cooperation, the core value is independence, and the development prospect is mutually beneficial.” Wang stated, “Europe needs China, and China also needs Europe,” emphasizing that “de-risking, which reduces cooperation with China, is not in Europe’s interests.” He continued, “Mutual dependence is the result of global division of labor, and convergence of interests is a kind of security guarantee,” adding, “China and Europe should engage in more addition and less subtraction, expanding the cake of cooperation, and maintaining a healthy and stable development of China-Europe relations.”

Wang also made it clear that he would continue to have strategic communication and cooperation in the framework of multilateralism with France, which has maintained the most positive attitude towards China among Western countries. Minister Séjourné said, “We will promote stronger cooperation with China in areas such as economy, trade, agriculture, green development, artificial intelligence, and strengthen humanities exchanges to achieve greater development in bilateral relations,” adding, “France opposes decoupling while advocating openness and cooperation, and is working hard to handle differences through negotiations appropriately.”

The Chinese and French Foreign Ministers met again on this day, about a month after they met on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on February 17. Earlier, foreign media reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping is planning to visit Europe for the first time since the outbreak of COVID-19 in early May, where he will hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. This year marks the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between China and France.