February 5, 2025

With changes unseen in a century rapidly unfolding, and the world turning into a less stable and certain place, risks of division, fragmentation and disorder are looming large. Against this backdrop, China-EU relations have more strategic significance and global influence, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday, in response to European Commission President Ursula that EU and China can find agreements that could even expand trade and investment ties.

China attaches great importance to its ties with the EU and views the EU as its comprehensive strategic partner and an important and independent pole in the multipolar world. We hope the EU will also become China's trustworthy cooperation partner, Lin said.

As US President Donald Trump suggested the EU could be the next to face US tariffs, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen - seen by media as the continent's most prominent China hawk - stated on Tuesday that there is room to strengthen trade relations and even "find agreements" with Beijing, in "an era of hyper-competitive and hyper-transactional geopolitics."

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