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China-EU relations: amid Ukraine war, Beijing says choosing sides won’t solve complex security issues
- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell hold videoconference ahead of summit on April 1
- EU has said Ukraine war will be a key topic for the talks, while Beijing seeks progress on stalled investment treaty
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has told Europe that “choosing sides” will not resolve its security challenges as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine overshadows Beijing’s ties with the bloc.
In a videoconference with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Tuesday, Wang said ruling other nations as either an adversary or an ally was no solution for managing difficult geopolitics.
“In dealing with complex security issues, we should not adopt a simplistic approach that [a party is] either an enemy or a friend,” Wang said, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement. “All countries have the right to decide their own foreign policies independently.”
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“The old way of Cold War mentality and camp confrontation is no longer feasible in Europe, and the practice of choosing sides and dividing the world is even less desirable.”
01:33
Last train service linking Russia and EU suspended over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine
Last train service linking Russia and EU suspended over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine
Wang’s remarks came as the Ukraine crisis threatens to eclipse a summit between China and the European Union on April 1.
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