Wang Yi urges EU to ease China export curbs
Bastillepost · 3 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Croatia on October 17 and used meetings with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, President Zoran Milanovic and Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman to press Beijing’s case on China-Europe relations and trade.
He said concerns over China’s trade surplus with the European Union should be understood as the result of market demand and the international division of labour, not as a sign of fundamental conflict between China and Europe.
Wang also said China is willing to import more high value-added European products and called on the European side to relax export restrictions on China.
Croatian leaders said EU members, including Croatia, remain concerned about trade imbalances, but also supported continued communication and dialogue to manage differences.
Key Points
- Wang met Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic in Zagreb during his Croatia visit, with bilateral ties, China-Central and Eastern Europe cooperation and China-Europe trade on the agenda.
- In separate talks, Wang also met President Zoran Milanovic and Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman on October 17.
- Wang said China and Europe have no fundamental conflict of interests, are partners rather than opponents, and should choose cooperation over confrontation.
- On trade, Wang said EU imports of affordable, good-quality Chinese goods benefit consumers and help restrain inflation, rejecting claims of so-called overcapacity.
- Plenkovic and Milanovic said trade imbalances concern EU countries, but recent progress in the China-EU trade and investment consultation mechanism showed dialogue can produce solutions.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the exchanges point to how Beijing is framing its economic relationship with Europe at a time when trade frictions remain unresolved.
If China and the EU keep disputes within consultation channels rather than escalating restrictions, that would support a more stable external trading environment for a city whose economy depends heavily on open trade and cross-border business flows.