News / China

China says relations with EU facing ‘various challenges’

Wednesday, 07 April 2021 6:13 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 07 April 2021 6:28 PM ]

The file photo shows China’s President Xi Jinping, right, talking with German Chancellor Angela Merkel as they prepare for a group picture during the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, September 4, 2016.

China sees many obstacles and “various challenges” in its relations with the European Union (EU), says President Xi Jinping.

The Chinese leader was speaking on the phone with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday.

A Chinese government statement said the president also expected the 27-member trade union to “independently” make correct judgments.

Beijing and Brussels, he said, should display mutual respect and “eliminate interference” in the internal affairs of each other.

Last month, Beijing imposed sanctions on 10 European individuals and four entities in retaliation for similar restrictions put by the EU, the United States, Britain and Canada.

The Chinese government also denounced the EU for imposing sanctions on several Chinese officials on the grounds that they had violated human rights in Xinjiang. Beijing said the EU’s move was based on disinformation, and amounted to gross interference in China’s domestic affairs.

EU, China impose tit-for-tat sanctions on individuals, entities

Ulrike Demmer, a German government spokeswoman, said Merkel and Xi had discussed international efforts to produce and distribute COVID-19 vaccines, expand economic cooperation and protect the climate and biodiversity.

Elsewhere in his telephone remarks, Xi said China was willing to work with the international community to promote “fair and reasonable distribution” of COVID-19 vaccines and is against vaccine nationalism, according to the Chinese statement.

In its annual report, Amnesty International said on Wednesday that richer countries were failing a “rudimentary” test of global solidarity by hoarding the vaccines.

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