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China’s Wang Yi warns European nations not to develop ties with Taiwan
- It is ‘especially important to guard against’ countries challenging the one-China principle, the foreign minister says
- Speaking in Athens, he calls ties with Greece an example for other European countries to follow in dealing with Beijing
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged the European Union not to treat Beijing as a rival and accused countries seeking closer ties with Taiwan of sabotaging EU-China relations.
He made the comments on Wednesday during a visit to Greece, the first stop of his four-nation tour of Europe, which also includes Serbia, Albania and Italy.
The trip, Wang’s first European visit this year, comes after China’s fraught relations with the EU hit a new low with the imposition of tit-for-tat sanctions over Beijing’s alleged mistreatment of Uygur Muslims in its Xinjiang region.
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“China and the EU should respect each other, conduct exchanges on an equal footing, enhance understanding and manage differences,” Wang told his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias, according to Xinhua.
03:36
Beijing hits back at Western sanctions against China’s alleged treatment of Uygur Muslims
Beijing hits back at Western sanctions against China’s alleged treatment of Uygur Muslims
Brushing aside their widening differences over human rights and Beijing’s assertive foreign policy, Wang insisted that China and the EU should be “partners” and “collaborators”, rather than “rivals” and “competitors”.
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