Hong Kong media attention: Wang Yi intensively carried out diplomacy with Europe in Rome

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with several European leaders on the sidelines of the Group of Twenty (G20) summit in Rome, and he met with Italian and Dutch leaders on October 31, according to the website of Hong Kong's South China Morning Post on November 1.

According to a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on November 1, during a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Wang Yi urged the European side to "adhere to strategic autonomy, eliminate interference from all sides, and build consensus on dialogue and cooperation."

Wang Yi stressed: "China and the EU are partners rather than rivals, partners rather than competitors. Wang Yi said that the two countries should respect each other, look at each other's development with an "inclusive mentality", and accept each other's differences peacefully.

The Italian government said the talks "focused on the prospects for bilateral cooperation and the EU's relationship with China."

The Foreign Ministry said Wang Yi also held talks with Dutch Prime Minister Rutte, telling him that China regards the Netherlands as a "gateway" for China-EU cooperation and that the two countries should "promote greater development of Sino-Dutch relations... Injecting impetus into EU-China relations".

He also called on the Netherlands to "provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises."

The report pointed out that China and the United States are still engaged in geopolitical competition. China seeks to strengthen its ties with Europe to counter pressure from Washington. Beijing has repeatedly urged Brussels to maintain autonomy in foreign policy.

The report noted that Wang Yi also met with French Foreign Minister Le Dreyon in Rome on October 30, and he urged the French side to play the role of the EU presidency next year, maintain the main tone of mutually beneficial cooperation between China and the EU, and "promote the sustained, healthy and stable development of China-EU relations."

Surab Gupta, a senior fellow at the Center for U.S.-China Studies, an American think tank, believes that "China will ensure that it not only has friends in Europe, but also a partner with lasting political and economic interests."

Source: Reference News Network