Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed China-EU trade with France and cooperation with Slovakia on Tuesday, saying he expected France to play a constructive role as China and the EU work toward a stable, balanced trade partnership.
During a call with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Wang said France could help guide China and the European Union toward more balanced trade relations, according to China’s Foreign Ministry. He also called for closer communication between Beijing and Paris on international issues, citing both countries’ permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council, and urged France to uphold the one-China principle.
Barrot said France adheres to its one-China policy and wants to maintain high-level exchanges with China. He offered French support for dialogue between China and the EU. The ministers also discussed the selection of the next U.N. secretary-general, while Barrot proposed coordination on U.N. affairs and artificial intelligence, the ministry said.
In a separate meeting in Beijing, Wang and Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár discussed expanding cooperation between their countries, including trade and investment. Blanár reaffirmed Slovakia’s one-China policy, called China an important partner and said his country would provide a stable environment for Chinese companies investing and cooperating there, according to the ministry.
The meetings addressed different aspects of China’s ties with European countries: trade relations between China and the EU in Wang’s call with Barrot, and bilateral commercial cooperation with Slovakia. Both European officials also restated their governments’ one-China policies, according to the ministry’s accounts.
