China, EU ready to boost ties at upcoming summit
China hopes to boost relations with the European Union (EU) at an upcoming summit, with a firm focus on pragmatic cooperation in the face of complex situations and severe challenges, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said. In a meeting on Monday with EU diplomatic envoys to China in Beijing, Wang said the two sides should view bilateral relations from a strategic perspective and added that China's policy towards Europe remains stable. "China and the EU do not completely have the same point of view on international and regional issues, and only by adhering to communication and coordination can we play a constructive role in maintaining world peace and stability and addressing global challenges," Wang said. The remarks came ahead of the 24th China-EU Summit on Thursday in Beijing, to be attended by President Xi Jinping, President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Wang said leaders from the two sides "will have in-depth exchange of strategic and global issues concerning China-EU relations" at the summit, "and will show the direction and draw a blueprint for, and boost confidence and inject impetus in the bilateral relations." The head of the EU delegation to China and the envoys of EU member states to China said the EU is committed to developing constructive and stable China-EU relations, and is willing to maintain mutual respect and dialogue with China. The envoys said the EU has no intention of decoupling from Beijing and hopes to establish "mutually beneficial and balanced economic and trade relations with China".  The two sides are trying to mend frayed relations on several trade issues, such as an EU anti-subsidy investigation on electric vehicles and a looming probe on Chinese steelmakers. (Reuters/Xinhua)