Chinese Premier holds phone call with EU chief

Chinese Premier Li Qiang held a phone call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday, CCTV News reported.

Li said that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the China-EU diplomatic ties. President Xi Jinping had a phone call with President of the European Council Antonio Costa at the beginning of the year, which set the tone and pointed out the direction for deepening China-EU relations. China is willing to enhance political mutual trust with the EU, expand practical cooperation, and resolve mutual concerns through dialogue and consultations, thereby driving China-EU relations forward, according to CCTV News.

China and the EU should strengthen communication and coordination, expand mutual openness, and safeguard a free and open trade and investment environment, injecting more stability and certainty into both sides and the global economy, Li told von der Leyen, per CCTV.

Li pointed out that the U.S. recently imposed tariffs on all its trading partners, including China and the EU, under various pretexts. This is a typical act of unilateralism, protectionism, and economic bullying. China's firm countermeasures are not only aimed at safeguarding its own sovereignty, security, and development interests, but also at upholding international trade rules and fairness and justice in the global arena. Humanity shares the same global village—no country can thrive in isolation. Protectionism leads nowhere; openness and cooperation are the right path forward, Li said, Xinhua reported.

The Chinese premier said that this year, China's macroeconomic policies have fully taken into account various uncertainties, and the country has ample policy tools in reserve. China is fully capable of offsetting external negative impacts and is confident in sustaining sound and steady economic growth. China will continue to firmly expand its openness and strengthen cooperation with countries around the world, including the EU, to share development opportunities, Li said, according to Xinhua.

In the CCTV News report, von der Leyen emphasized that it is crucial for EU-China relations to maintain continuity and stability. The U.S. tariff hikes have severely impacted international trade. Both the EU and China are committed to safeguarding the multilateral trading system, which aligns with the common interests of both sides and the world, the European Commission leader noted.