BEIJING: Premier Li Qiang reminded the leader of the European Union on the sidelines of the yearly G20 summit in Delhi that China and Europe should “unite and cooperate” in the face of global uncertainties.
Li’s call came as the European bloc grows increasingly wary of the risks of involving China, which has been defined as its partner, competitor and “systemic rival” since 2019.
“Risk prevention does not rule out cooperation, interdependence should not be equated with uncertainty,” Li told European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday, China’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Li urged the bloc to ensure a non-discriminatory environment for Chinese firms, adding that China is willing to strengthen dialogue and cooperation in areas such as clean energy and green finance, the ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
“China and the EU should further unify and cooperate, and use the stability of China-EU relations as a safeguard against the uncertainty of the world situation,” Li was quoted as saying.
Li attended the summit as a representative of President Xi Jinping, who did not attend.
In June, the EU adopted a “de-risking” strategy to manage its dependence on the Asian giant, the world’s second-largest economy.
