An Unstable World Calls for Stronger China-EU Cooperation
加强中欧合作，给不安宁的世界注入稳定因素
Chargé d’Affaires ad Interim Wang Hongjian of the Chinese Mission to the EU Published a Signed Article
驻欧盟使团临时代办王红坚发表署名文章
31 March 2022
2022年3月31日
The 23rd China-EU Summit will be held tomorrow. Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet through video link with President Charles Michel of the European Council and President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission. Premier Li Keqiang will co-host the summit with the EU Presidents. This meeting, taking place as our world comes to a critical juncture, carries even greater importance than before.
第二十三次中欧领导人会晤即将举行。习近平主席将视频会见欧洲理事会主席米歇尔和欧委会主席冯德莱恩，李克强总理将同两主席共同主持会晤。双方领导人将就中欧关系以及共同关心的国际和地区问题交换意见。这是中欧时隔两年再次举行领导人会晤。在当前严峻国际形势背景下，这次会晤具有十分重要意义。
China-EU relations have always been defined by resilience and vitality, as demonstrated by frequent contact between the leaders of the two sides, close coordination on major international and regional issues, and fruitful cooperation across the board. If there is only one thing to add to the list, it has to be the robust economic and trade ties between the two sides, which have risen above the difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and reached new heights. According to the latest statistics, China maintained its position as the EU’s top trading partner for the second year in a row, with two-way trade volume in goods increasing by 27.5% and hitting a record of 744 billion euros in 2021.
中欧关系始终保持着强大韧性和活力。习近平主席同欧盟机构及成员国领导人保持密切沟通，就推动中欧合作达成重要共识，就重大国际和地区问题深入沟通。双方克服新冠疫情的不利影响，开展各层级对话交流，成果丰硕。双方经贸合作再上新台阶。2021年，中欧货物贸易额达8281亿美元，同比增长27.5%，中国连续两年成为欧盟最大贸易伙伴。双方携手维护多边主义、完善全球治理，共同应对新冠肺炎疫情、促进世界经济复苏，合作推动格拉斯哥气候峰会取得成果、保护生物多样性和推动伊朗核等热点问题解决。
China and the EU, naturally, do not always see eye to eye with each other. But looking back, differences did not undermine our cooperation at the Glasgow Climate Change Conference or around the negotiating table of the JCPOA. Going forward, we have no reason to let differences overpower our joint aspiration for peace and stability in a turbulent and fluid world. China and the EU should be comprehensive strategic partners rather than systemic rivals. This is the fundamental perception that China and the EU need to stick to. The Chinese side, for its part, has always supported European integration, supported an EU with greater unity and prosperity, and supported European strategic autonomy. China always believes that our consensus and cooperation outweigh differences and competition. At the same time, we hope that the EU can move beyond the “partner-competitor-rival” characterization of its relations with China, view China-EU relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and adopt a positive and pragmatic China policy.
中欧有分歧，但共识远大于分歧，合作远多于竞争。我们始终认为中欧是全面战略伙伴，而不应是制度性对手。这是中欧双方应该长期坚持的基本相互认知。中方几十年来始终从战略高度看待中欧关系，始终支持欧洲一体化进程、支持欧盟团结繁荣、支持欧盟战略自主。我们也希望欧盟坚持独立、客观的对华认知，跳出对华“三重定位”的思维定式，奉行务实、积极的对华政策。
The harsh realities of today’s world, battered and bruised by unilateralism, protectionism, and the pandemic, call for China and the EU to set aside their differences and meet each other halfway. The recent outbreak of war on the European continent is yet another pressing call for stronger China-EU cooperation. As two major global forces, markets and civilizations, the greater challenges we face, the greater responsibility we have to lead the world out of turbulence, and the greater necessity there is for us to work together.
当前，百年变局和世纪疫情相互叠加，世界进入新的动荡变革期。欧洲大陆战火重燃，正面临冷战结束以来最大的地缘政治格局重塑。世界范围内不稳定不确定因素显著增多，传统和非传统安全问题成为突出挑战，单边主义、保护主义抬头，经济全球化遭遇逆流，全球经济复苏势头受到冲击。作为全球两大力量、两大市场、两大文明，越是面对这样的复杂严峻形势，越要突出中欧合作的价值和意义，越要坚定不移维护好、发展好中欧关系。
China and the EU should work together for enduring peace. China and Europe have been victims of wars and beneficiaries of peace and stability. The current situation in Ukraine is something China does not want to see. Since the beginning of the crisis in Ukraine, China has been maintaining an objective and impartial position, making independent judgments based on the merits of the matter itself and promoting peace talks. China stands ready to maintain communication and coordination with the European side and continue playing a constructive role together with all parties concerned in resolving the crisis and restoring peace in Europe at an early date.
中欧要携手维护和平。中国和欧洲国家都曾饱受战火蹂躏，中国和欧盟的发展都得益于世界的和平与稳定。乌克兰局势发展到今天的地步，是中方不愿看到的。乌克兰危机爆发以来，中方始终秉持客观公正立场，根据事情本身的是非曲直作出独立自主的判断，积极劝和促谈，为和平而努力。中方愿同欧方保持沟通协调，并与有关各方一道，继续发挥建设性作用。
China and the EU should work together for sustained security. China advocates for dialogue and partnership instead of confrontation and alliance. Peace-lovers as we Chinese are, we believe that one country’s security should not come at the expense of that of others. It is equally true that rebuilding iron curtains, erecting walls of mistrust, and hyping up new Cold War rhetoric goes against the trend of history and cannot lead to peace and stability. Instead, a new vision featuring common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security is needed if security for all is to be achieved. It is in the interest of China, the EU, and the wider world to jointly overcome global security challenges with openness and inclusiveness. Following this spirit, we need to stay alert to the politicization and weaponization of economic issues to prevent protectionism and decoupling from tearing the world apart and exacerbating existing security challenges.
中欧要携手守护安全。我们主张对话不对抗、结伴不结盟，认为一国的安全不能以损害他国安全为代价。陈旧的安全观念，重筑铁幕高墙开展“新冷战”，不符合历史发展潮流。秉持共同、综合、合作、可持续的新安全观，才能为世界的和平与安全构筑稳定的框架。中欧要坚持开放，坚持推动经济全球化，避免将经贸问题泛安全化、依赖关系武器化，要共同反对保护主义和断链脱钩倾向，维护全球产业链供应链稳定。
China and the EU should work together for common development. The world economy has yet to recover from the shocks of the pandemic and is now hit again by the Ukraine crisis and its spill-over effects. As potential economic, refugee, food, financial and energy crises loom over the horizon due to escalating sanctions, China and the EU should further strengthen macroeconomic policy coordination and boost international cooperation. The Global Development Initiative (GDI) proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, which has been echoed and supported by more than 100 countries and international organizations, is another promising area of cooperation between China and the EU.
中欧要携手推动发展。当前，世界各国仍未摆脱新冠肺炎疫情危机影响，乌克兰危机及有关制裁措施持续升级，叠加效应可能引发全球经贸、难民、能源、粮食、金融等严重危机，使本已困难的世界经济雪上加霜。中欧应加强宏观经济政策协调，推动国际合作共同应对全球挑战，最大程度减少两场危机对世界的冲击。习近平主席提出全球发展倡议，致力于推动更加强劲、绿色、健康的全球发展，得到联合国等国际组织及近百个国家的响应支持，中方欢迎欧方积极参与。
China and the EU should work together for stronger cooperation. The two sides need to fully tap the potential of the dozens of dialogue and cooperation mechanisms they have established over the decades and work for greater synergy between our two economies. As both sides embrace green and digital transitions, we hope to turn our new highlights of cooperation into stronger momentum for common progress. These will also prove to be important areas of bilateral cooperation under the framework of China’s Belt and Road initiative and the EU’s Global Gateway Strategy, which are highly complementary and are in the benefits of Eurasian and global prosperity. As China continues to reform and open up, our cooperation with the EU will further pick up the pace. We hope the European side will also follow the spirit of multilateralism and free trade and create an open, fair, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese investors.
中欧要携手引领合作。中欧已建立起数十个对话合作机制，双方应加强沟通对接，不断挖掘合作潜力，继续做大合作的蛋糕。中欧双方在绿色、数字领域互补性强，双方应深化环境技术、清洁能源、人工智能、大数据、云计算等领域合作，共同打造绿色和数字伙伴关系，拓展中欧关系新的增长点。中国正坚定不移扩大改革开放，放宽市场准入，持续优化营商环境，将为欧洲企业带来更多发展机遇。希望欧方坚持自由贸易和多边主义，为中国投资者提供开放公平非歧视的营商环境。中方“一带一路”倡议同欧盟全球门户战略完全可以互补，双方应加强对接合作，共享欧亚以及全球互联互通红利。