Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his German counterpart Heiko Maas met on Tuesday in Berlin, where the COVID-19 pandemic and trade topped the agenda. 

It's the Chinese foreign minister's first visit to Europe since the COVID-19 outbreak. According to Wang, the two ministers held "candid, in-depth and friendly" talks, which boosted mutual trust and generated fruitful results. After the meeting, Wang also met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Tuesday.

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China, Germany vow to uphold multilateralism, oppose 'decoupling'

Three major tasks

Today's world is faced with three crucial choices, said Wang, outlining the choices as between multilateralism and unilateralism, between openness and seclusion, and between cooperation and confrontation.

Wang suggested that the first major task for China and Germany is to work together to practice multilateralism and oppose the waging of a "new Cold War," Wang said, adding that both countries are opposed to the instigation of confrontation and will strengthen cooperation among multilateral institutions, as well as support the United Nations, the WHO and multilateralism.

China and Germany and China and Europe share far more common interests than differences, and are partners rather than rivals, said the Chinese minister, adding China and Europe have different social systems and ideologies, but China is always opposed to the export of ideologies, let alone the competition of social systems.

The second task, according to Wang, is to promote global unity against the COVID-19 pandemic and facilitate global economic recovery by continuing to support the World Health Organization (WHO) and say no to "de-coupling" and "de-globalization," which will only weaken the momentum of a global economic recovery, he said.

China and Germany will maintain openness to each other and strengthen cooperation in such areas as trade and investment, health, clean energy and digital economy, so as to contribute to stable operation of the global supply chain, Wang said.

Lastly, the two sides should promote China-EU relations to a more stable and mature level. China will faithfully support the European integration process through practical actions, remain a trustworthy strategic partner as Europe strives for unity and development, and support Europe's bigger role in international affairs, he said.

Strive for progress in six areas

The Chinese foreign minister believed China and the EU need to strive for progress in six areas.

First, the two sides need to make preparations for China-EU high-level exchanges in the next stage, to chart the course for bilateral cooperation.

Second, China and the EU should conclude negotiations on the China-EU Comprehensive Investment Agreement by the end of the year, which is now in its final stage. Both sides need to step up their efforts and make political decisions when necessary so as to find a solution to outstanding issues, he said.

Third, both sides should sign the China-EU 2025 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation as soon as possible.

Fourth, China and the EU should advance international cooperation on climate change and take new action to this end, Wang said, adding that China has already fulfilled its 2020 emissions reduction commitment two years ahead of schedule and is actively working on medium- to long-term targets.

Fifth, China and the EU should also strengthen cooperation in the digital economy. Both sides have their own advantages and common concerns in developing the digital economy. "We should continue to open our markets to each other, strengthen cooperation in the technology industry and work for the formulation of standards, rules and regulations in the global digital field," he urged.

Finally, the two sides should also strengthen support for multilateral institutions, backing the central role of the United Nations, the Security Council in particular, in maintaining world peace and security, speeding up the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Wang added.

Three major consensuses

Recalling his week-long trip to the five European countries, Wang said that he had reached three major consensuses with the leaders and foreign ministers of the five countries.

One major consensus is upholding multilateralism and opposing unilateralism. "The strongest voice heard during my trip to Europe is that we need to steadfastly safeguard multilateralism, and we agreed on this," he said.

China and Europe need to step up collaboration, adhere to the concept of multilateralism, take multilateral actions, abide by multilateral agreements and strengthen multilateral institutions, he explained.

Another key consensus is to promote solidarity and cooperation while taking a stand against division and "decoupling," Wang said.

"We all agree that China and Europe need to enhance cooperation in fighting COVID-19, and to resume personnel exchanges and practical cooperation as soon as possible, to make 'Chinese-European contributions' to the recovery and growth of the global economy," noted Wang. 

Thirdly, Wang said there was a consensus that efforts should be made to uphold the overall interests of China-Europe relations as well as the comprehensive strategic partnership, and properly manage differences.

Non-interference in internal affairs

Wang also stressed that no country should interfere in the internal affairs of other countries and reiterated China's sovereignty when asked questions related to China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The minister cited concrete numbers and facts to show why the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is justified, as well as the positive outcome of the de-radicalization measures in Xinjiang, adding that these policy measures are widely supported by the Chinese people.

According to Wang, based on the principles of mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs, China is willing to exchange views on issues of mutual concern with countries that are interested in the issues with the aim of enhancing mutual understanding.

Wang said that during his visit to Europe, some of his local colleagues inquired about Hong Kong and Xinjiang affairs, but they all first stressed their respect for China's sovereignty and that they had no intention to interfere in China's internal affairs.

Noting that it is necessary to ascertain the real situation based on facts when observing and commenting on China affairs, the Chinese foreign minister also invited foreign friends to visit China more often, including making a site visit to Xinjiang.

China welcomes friends from the world who wish to learn about and experience the country's development and changes, Wang said.

However, the people in Xinjiang do not welcome those who come with a "presumption of guilt" and wear "tinted glasses," he added.