China's top diplomat visits Europe pitching closer ties in 'volatile' world

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Wang Yi's circuit  volition  instrumentality     him to the EU office  successful  Brussels arsenic  good   arsenic  France and Germany arsenic  Beijing seeks to amended   relations with EuropeWang Yi's circuit volition instrumentality him to the EU office successful Brussels arsenic good arsenic France and Germany arsenic Beijing seeks to amended relations with Europe. Photo: EVARISTO SA / AFP
Source: AFP

China's apical diplomat heads to Europe connected Monday for a sojourn which Beijing said volition item ties arsenic an "anchor of stability" successful a satellite successful turmoil.

Wang Yi's circuit volition instrumentality him to the European Union's office successful Brussels arsenic good arsenic France and Germany arsenic China seeks to amended relations with the bloc arsenic a counterweight to superpower rival the United States.

But heavy frictions stay implicit the economy -- including a yawning commercialized shortage of $357.1 cardinal betwixt China and the EU -- and Beijing's adjacent ties with Russia contempt Moscow's warfare successful Ukraine.

"The satellite is undergoing an accelerated improvement of a century-old change, with unilateralism, protectionism and bullying behaviour becoming rampant," Chinese overseas ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said connected Friday -- a thinly veiled swipe against the United States nether President Donald Trump.

In that context, Guo said, Beijing and the European bloc indispensable "keep the satellite peaceful and stable, safeguard multilateralism, escaped trade, planetary rules, fairness and justice, and enactment firmly arsenic anchors of stableness and constructive forces successful a volatile world".

Wang volition conscionable with his EU counterpart, Kaja Kallas, astatine the bloc's office successful Brussels for "high-level strategical dialogue".

In Germany, helium volition clasp talks with Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul connected diplomacy and information -- his archetypal sojourn since Berlin's caller conservative-led authorities took powerfulness successful May.

And successful France, Wang volition conscionable curate for Europe and overseas affairs Jean-Noel Barrot, who visited China successful March.

The warfare successful Ukraine volition apt beryllium precocious connected the agenda, with European leaders having been forthright successful condemning what they accidental is Beijing's backing for Moscow.

China has portrayed itself arsenic a neutral enactment successful Russia's much than three-year warfare with Ukraine.

But Western governments accidental Beijing's adjacent ties person fixed Moscow important economical and diplomatic support, and they person urged China to bash much to property Russia to extremity the war.

Trade tensions

Ties betwixt Europe and China person besides strained successful caller years arsenic the EU seeks to get tougher connected what it says are unfair economical practices by Beijing.

After the European bloc placed tariffs connected Chinese electrical conveyance imports, China retaliated with its ain duties, including connected French cognac.

An statement connected cognac has been reached with Beijing but not formally approved by the Chinese commerce ministry, a root successful the French system ministry told AFP.

The root said finalization was partially linked with the EU's ongoing negotiations implicit EVs.

Tensions flared this period aft the EU banned Chinese firms from authorities aesculapian instrumentality purchases worthy much than 5 cardinal euros ($5.8 million), successful retaliation for limits Beijing places connected entree to its ain market.

The latest salvo successful commercialized tensions betwixt the 27-nation bloc and China covered a wide scope of healthcare supplies, from surgical masks to X-ray machines, that correspond a marketplace worthy 150 cardinal euros successful the EU.

In response, China accused the European Union of "double standards".

Another sticking constituent has been uncommon earths.

Beijing has since April required licences to export these strategical materials from China, which accounts for astir two-thirds of uncommon world mining accumulation and 92 percent of planetary refined output, according to the International Energy Agency.

The metals are utilized successful a wide assortment of products, including electrical car batteries, and determination has been disapproval from industries astir the mode China's licences person been issued.

China has projected establishing a "green channel" to easiness the export of uncommon earths to the EU, its commerce ministry said this month.

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Source: AFP

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