The EU should not view its relationship with China through the “prism” of the Ukraine War, Fu Cong, head of the Chinese Mission to the EU, told Chinese media outlet the Paper in a recent interview.
On Ukraine
Fu stressed that since taking office last year, he has “repeatedly emphasised to the EU that, like China’s bilateral relations with any other country, China-EU relations are multi-faceted and not based on a single issue.”
Asserting that China is “neither the instigator nor the participant” in the Ukraine crisis, Fu said that it is “also a victim of this crisis,” and insisted that “it is groundless to blame China for its role in the crisis.”
On the US
Fu added that the EU should not sacrifice its relationship with China and Chinese interests to bolster its ties with the US.
I agree with HRVP @JosepBorrellF that the primary foundation of China-EU relations should be mutual knowledge and respect.
— Fu Cong 傅聪 (@FuCong17) April 17, 2023
China and the EU don’t need to see eye to eye on all issues. As long as we maintain dialogue and communication based on mutual respect, we can promote the…
“I want to emphasise that China maintains a long-term stable policy toward Europe and treats the region as strategic partner,” he said.
On Russia
The Chinese diplomat further urged Europe to have “a correct view” of China’s relationship with Russia.
The official claimed that the China-Russia relationship “adheres to the principles of non-alignment, non-confrontation, and non-targeting of third parties,” as well as mutual respect and trust. “It not only promotes the development and revitalization of both countries, but also strives to maintain international fairness and justice, setting an example of a new type of major-country relationship,” he added.
Fu’s latest comments come days after he said that China’s cooperation with Europe and other nations is “endless” and that there is “no upper limit,” just as its ties with Russia are “unlimited.” Relationships “should not be artificially limited,” he stated.