Borrell says EU takes China seriously, expects same in return
© Reuters. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell attends EU-China High-Level Strategic Dialogue at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing, China, on October 13, 2023. Pedro Pardo/Pool via REUTERSBEIJING - The European Union's top diplomat Josep Borrell said on Saturday his message to Chinese officials on a Beijing visit had been that Brussels takes China seriously and expects the same in return on geopolitical issues and trade.
The 27-member bloc has long complained it does not receive adequate attention from Beijing, particularly compared to the United States, and that China does not sufficiently recognise the EU's agency in geopolitical affairs. On Friday, Borrell met Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who described the talks as"comprehensive, candid and friendly".
"But what we discussed with my Chinese counterpart is that it is the only solution that can be implemented," he added.The EU's record $426 billion trade deficit last year with the world's second-largest economy has become a major sticking point in the relationship. During talks in Beijing last month, China's economy tsar, He Lifeng, asked EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis to"exercise restraint in the use of trade remedy measures".