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China supports European integration, EU strategic autonomy: Xi

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      China supports European integration, EU strategic autonomy: Xi

      2025-01-14 21:02 Last Updated At:01-15 11:07

      China has always regarded Europe as an important pole in a multipolar world, firmly supported European integration, and backed the European Union (EU)'s pursuit of strategic autonomy, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday.

      Xi made the statement at a phone conversation with European Council President Antonio Costa.

      The history of China-EU relations demonstrates that as long as both sides uphold mutual respect, treat each other as equals, and engage in candid dialogue, they can advance cooperation and make significant achievements, Xi said.

      Those who are like-minded are partners, and those who seek common ground while shelving differences are also partners, Xi said, adding that the key lies in respecting the social systems and development paths chosen by each side's people and honoring each other's core interests and major concerns.

      Xi said both sides need to reflect on the development of China-EU relations, draw lessons from past experiences, and work together to uphold the political foundation of bilateral relations, promote sound development of their relationship, so as to bring greater benefits to the people of China and the EU, and inject more stability and certainty into the volatile international landscape.

      There exist no clash of fundamental interests or geopolitical conflicts between China and the EU, enabling them to become partners that can contribute to each other's success, according to the Chinese president.

      Over the past 50 years, China-EU relations have not only boosted their respective development, but also significantly contributed to world peace and prosperity, Xi said.

      Expressing China's confidence in the EU, Xi said that he hopes the EU can also become a trusted partner to China.

      Emphasizing mutual complementarity and mutual benefits in economic and trade cooperation between China and the EU, Xi described the two sides as champions of the multilateral trading system with a strong economic symbiotic relationship.

      Noting that China remains committed to high-quality development and high-level opening up, Xi said that it will bring new opportunities for China-EU cooperation.

      Xi urged bilateral efforts to expand mutual openness, consolidate existing cooperation mechanisms, and explore new areas for growth.

      Xi also said that both sides need to deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and encourage stronger bilateral engagement at the sub-regional level, thus cementing the public opinion foundation for bilateral friendship.

      For his part, Costa said the EU is willing to work with China to properly address economic and trade differences through dialogue and consultation.

      The two sides should focus on cooperation rather than competition, he added.

      In a time of global challenges, closer cooperation between the EU and China is necessary, Costa said, calling for combined efforts to tackle pressing issues such as climate change and contribute to global peace, stability and development. The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis and other issues. Xi expounded China's principled position on promoting peace talks.

      China supports European integration, EU strategic autonomy: Xi

      China supports European integration, EU strategic autonomy: Xi

      China supports European integration, EU strategic autonomy: Xi

      China supports European integration, EU strategic autonomy: Xi

      Next Article

      Panamanian residents dismiss Trump's claims of retaking Panama Canal

      2025-01-22 01:19 Last Updated At:02:17

      People in Panama City have firmly dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to retake the Panama Canal, calling his claims "nonsense" and saying such a move even risks world peace.

      After his presidential election win in November, Trump has made a series of expansionist remarks, including stating his plans to make Canada a U.S. state, rename the Gulf of Mexico, and gain control of the Panama Canal and Greenland.

      Last month, Trump accused Panama of treating the U.S. in a "very unfair and injudicious way," and has refused to rule out using military means or taking economic action in his pursuit of the Panama Canal.

      At the start of this year, Panama celebrated the 25th anniversary of the handover of the canal, which had been under the control of the United States for nearly a century until the end of 1999.

      During his inauguration speech shortly after taking the oath of office on Monday, Trump claimed Panama had 'violated' the treaty and said the U.S. would be "taking it back." In response, Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino rejected Trump's position and said there is no presence of any nation in the world that interferes with the administration of Panama.

      Many residents in Panama see the canal as a symbol of national pride and consider it a crucial driver of the country's economy.

      Milena Marin, a local resident, criticized Trump's remarks and called on countries across Central America to stand together to protect their own interests from U.S. infringement.

      "First of all, the Panama Canal belongs to the Panamanians, and we are doing an excellent job managing it. Since we took over its administration, we have been doing very well. Those (Trump's statements) are words of attack. We have to take care of our canal. It has a negative impact since [Trump's remarks] affect both the environment for us Panamanians but also the image of the country. We have been doing a great job with the management of the canal. These statements definitely affect world peace. They bring such negativity around Panama. [We need] more meetings and dialogue with Central American countries, because the more united we are, the stronger and less vulnerable we will be. And I think that the union between the countries of Central America could be a great solution," said Marin.

      Meanwhile, Luis Gomez, a local photographer, said Trump's statements are lacking in reason, and said the issue should be resolved peacefully, citing the huge military disparities between the two sides.

      "The president's statements do not make sense and seem a bit illogical, since Panama is such a small country that we don't even have a [traditional] military. We have no chance of being able to confront [the U.S.] because they are a powerful country. We cannot compare ourselves to a country of such size. The impact would be overwhelming for us. The canal is important not only for Panama but also for the whole world because it allows ships and goods from all over the world to pass through smoothly," said Gomez.

      The Panama Canal, which started operation in 1914, serves as an important international waterway that links the Pacific and the Atlantic. It was taken over by the Panamanian government in 1999 following the terms set out in the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, which were signed back in 1977 by Panama's General Omar Torrijos and then U.S. President Jimmy Carter, ending 85 years of the colonial enclave known as the Panama Canal Zone.

      Panamanian residents dismiss Trump's claims of retaking Panama Canal

      Panamanian residents dismiss Trump's claims of retaking Panama Canal

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