China, EU can continue to contribute to each other's success by strengthening partnership

Beijing has repeatedly said that it remains ready to work with Brussels to ensure that China and the European Union remain firm partners. It has called for Brussels to deepen strategic communication to enhance mutual understanding and political trust so as to promote the sound and steady development of China-EU relations and make new contributions to world peace and development.

China and Europe have generally been on good terms since China established diplomatic relations with the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union, 50 years ago.

For a long time, they had complementary economic and trade ties on which to strengthen their cooperation. But as China has moved upstream on the global industry and supply chains, competition has emerged and intensified between the two economies. This competition has produced trade frictions in some areas. So much so that the EU identified China as a "systemic rival" in 2019. The ongoing tit for tat over EU restrictions on Chinese electric vehicles is the latest sign of such unease.

But for all the competitive aspects of their relationship, Beijing and Brussels do not have to engage in mutually undermining rivalry. Sustaining and amplifying the mutually beneficial side of their relations are of particular significance amid today's growing uncertainties.

The central message from Tuesday's phone conversation between Chinese President Xi Jinping and European Council President António Costa, that both sides seek to uphold their partnership, should thus be reassuring for both sides.

As President Xi correctly pointed out, China and Europe have "no fundamental conflicts of interest or geopolitical contradictions", and have been "partners of mutual achievement". This does not mean Beijing and Brussels should look aside from their present spat. But there are obviously better, more productive ways to handle it. The talks between the two leaders offered timely mutual assurance as both economies brace for unpredictable changes as a new administration takes office in the United States in a matter of days.

The next US administration will not necessarily upend the US' relations with China and Europe. But with the incoming US leader threatening tariff hikes against China and the EU, both Beijing and Brussels are naturally respectively considering the vulnerabilities of the Chinese and EU economies and the best means of self-protection. Choosing to follow Washington's lead and wield the baton of unilateral sanctions would not only betray the EU's long-standing commitment to free trade. More importantly, it would bog Brussels down in the mire of anti-globalization and trade protectionism, and end up hurting the EU economy. If the present trade spat with China could be resolved via constructive consultation, it would change the ball game.

The two sides' agreement on organizing a China-EU summit this year, an annual event absent last year, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations, indicates they opted for constructive engagement. As the top Chinese leader stated, as "defenders of the multilateral trading system", Beijing and Brussels must strive to hedge their "symbiotic relationship" against the complex, severe uncertainties in today's world. The history of the bilateral relationship shows, as Xi highlighted, that so long as both sides respect each other, treat each other as equals, and engage in candid dialogue, they will be able to work together and accomplish big things. Partners do not have to share the same ideals, they can also be those who are able to shelve their differences and seek common ground, he said.

Just as Costa emphasized, both the EU and China respect the UN Charter, uphold multilateralism, seek to preserve free trade, and oppose bloc confrontation, hence they should cooperate, rather than compete. If the EU and China can resolve their trade disputes and expand their cooperation, they would no doubt instill badly needed stability and certainty into the turbulent international situation.

Building on the momentum generated by the two leaders' talks, the two sides should make good preparations for the next China-EU Summit. Both sides should also give full play to the roles of their strategic, economic and trade dialogue mechanisms, and step up their cooperation in response to climate change and the potential threats posed by artificial intelligence, and provide more convenience for people-to-people exchanges, so as to further consolidate their friendly relations and continue pushing forward the mutually beneficial China-EU partnership.