How China is pushing for closer ties with European Union amid rising tension with US

The tensions between the United States and China refuse to die down after the American military shot down a “spy” balloon earlier this month. Amid this, Beijing seems to be cosying up to the European Union (EU). A lot happened over the weekend at the Munich Security Conference, known as the Davos of Defence, held in Germany.China’s top diplomat Wang Yi met European Union foreign affairs chief Joseph Borell on the sidelines of the global security conference even as Washington and Beijing traded accusations over surveillance. Unlike the tense meeting between Wang and US secretary of state Antony Blinken after which Washington said that China might give “lethal support” to Russia, in the talks with the EU, the former Chinese foreign minister stressed strengthening ties and maintaining cooperation.Also read: US says China may provide weapons to Russia: How this could change the Ukraine warChina, the EU are ‘partners, not rivals’Wang, who is now in charge of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Foreign Affairs Commission said that China and the EU were “not rivals”. According to a statement released by the Chinese foreign ministry, he said, “Both sides should maintain openness and cooperation, resist decoupling and work together to maintain the stability of the global production and supply chain”.China and the EU are partners, he said, emphasising Beijing’s readiness to enhance exchanges and understanding, and deepen mutual trust with Europe. He reportedly urged China and the EU to prepare for another meeting with its leaders.“The two sides can actively prepare for a new meeting between Chinese and European leaders, make full use of the high-level dialogue mechanism in various fields and promote exchanges between the two sides to return to pre-epidemic levels as soon as possible,” Wang said, according to a report in South China Morning Post (SCMP).He also brought to attention that the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the EU had entered its 20th year, urging both sides to remain committed to ties and respect each other’s core interests. China and the EU should “bring bilateral exchanges back to pre-epidemic levels as soon as possible”, Wang reportedly told the bloc’s foreign affairs chief.[caption id="attachment_12179792" align="alignnone" width="640"] German chancellor Olaf Scholz with China's Wang Yi at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany. Berlin is focused on strengthening commercial ties with Beijing. AP[/caption]Wang and Borrel discussed Ukraine with the latter calling on Beijing to use its influence in Russia to help end the war, which completes a year on 24 February. The Chinese diplomat said that his country “insists on promoting peace and talks, and is willing to strengthen communication with the EU and persevere in finding a political solution”, according to a report in Bloomberg.As China looks to strengthen ties with the EU, it faces pressure from the West to isolate Russia. Even though Beijing claims to have maintained “neutrality” in the war, China and Russia have reportedly gotten closer, making significant strides in economic cooperation.China’s attempts to get closer to the EUIn a Twitter post about his meeting with Wang, Borrel said, “I stressed EU position on Russian war against Ukraine and transmitted need for China to engage with Russia to end the aggression.” Neither did Borrel talk about partnership nor did the EU did not put out a statement about the meeting.According to the Chinese foreign ministry, Borrell said Brussels had always promoted EU-China relations in a mature and candid manner, stressing that the EU firmly upheld the one-China policy, reports SCMP.Wang also met Dutch foreign minister Wopke Hoekstra in Munich, the Xinhua news agency reports. He said that the Netherlands is a founding member of the EU and a gateway to China-Europe cooperation.[caption id="attachment_12179832" align="alignnone" width="640"] Wang Yi reiterated the call for a dialogue over the Ukraine war at the Munich Security Conference. AP[/caption]As US-China relations hit an all-time low, experts say Beijing is keen to improve ties with the EU.German chancellor Olaf Scholz visited China in November with a business delegation, sending out a message that Berlin is keen to boost commercial ties. But he is not alone. Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni accepted an invitation by Xi when they met at APEC last November and French president Macron reportedly plans to visit China in April to discuss energy, trade and the war, reports Japan Times.Chinese president Xi Jinping held talks with Charles Michel, president of the European Council, and Dr Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, via video link in April 2022. Late last year, Xi met Michel in Beijing, where China stressed the need for efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war, according to the Bloomberg report.However, China has been cautious about denouncing Russia. During the speech at the Munich Security Conference, Wang said that there were “some forces that seemingly don’t want negotiations to succeed, or for the war to end soon,” without specifying to whom he was referring, reports Reuters.He said that China will set out its position on settling the Ukraine crisis in a document that will state all countries’ territorial integrity must be respected. However, it remains to be seen if Beijing acts on it.[caption id="attachment_12179842" align="alignnone" width="640"] Wang Yi arrives for a private visit to the Roman Forum on 17 February in Rome. China and the EU should 'bring bilateral exchanges back to pre-epidemic levels as soon as possible', he said in Germany. AFP[/caption]China is walking the diplomatic tightrope. “Bringing some stability to US-China relations, while charming Europe and expressing support for Russia in spite of the ongoing war will be a hard feat for Wang to accomplish,” said Grzegorz Stec, an analyst at Berlin-based think tank Mercator Institute for China Studies (Merics), according to SCMP.While Europe may be wary of the friendship between Putin and Xi, some of the largest economies are keen to establish a stable relationship with China to protect their commercial interests. But the war is a roadblock. It remains to be seen how Beijing plays its cards in the days to come.With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.