BEIJING: China’s foreign minister told his French and German counterparts that Beijing was not to blame for Europe’s economic and security problems as he pushed for more cooperation at a summit in Munich, a foreign ministry statement said Saturday.
Wang Yi made the comments at a meeting with France’s Jean-Noel Barrot and Germany’s Johann Wadephul on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
He sought to promote China as a reliable partner of the European Union at a time when the bloc is trying to reduce its dependence on both Beijing and an increasingly unpredictable Washington.
“China’s development is an opportunity for Europe, and Europe’s challenges do not come from China,” Wang said, according to the statement.
Warning that “unilateralism, protectionism, and power politics” were on the rise globally, he said he hoped Europe would “pursue a rational and pragmatic policy toward China.”
