EU-China ties shouldn’t be viewed through ‘prism of Ukraine crisis’, says top envoy

Chinese ambassador to Brussels Fu Cong says Beijing ‘also a victim’ of crisis, and cooperation with Russia has ‘no upper limit’

He urges European Union to maintain ‘strategic autonomy’ and avoid developing US ties at China’s expense

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Chinese ambassador to the EU Fu Cong said Beijing’s recent success in brokering the Saudi- Iran deal could have “significant implications” for a resolution in Ukraine. Photo: AP

Published: 5:00pm, 24 Apr 2023Updated: 7:37pm, 24 Apr 2023

China’s relations with the European Union should not be tied to the war in Ukraine, said China’s top envoy to Brussels.

In an interview with Chinese media, Fu Cong, Beijing’s ambassador to the EU, urged Europe to maintain its “strategic autonomy” and avoid furthering ties with Washington at China’s expense.

“China’s policy towards Europe has remained stable for a long time and regards Europe as a strategic partner,” Fu told news portal Thepaper.cn.

He added that Beijing’s policy considered China and Europe “two major forces, two major markets” and that insisting on dialogue and cooperation was “of great significance to the world”.

“The European side should not look at China-Europe relations through the prism of the Ukraine crisis, let alone develop relations with the US at the expense of China-Europe relations and Chinese interests.”

Fu said the relationship between China and Europe was not only about the Ukraine war.

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