De-risking should not evolve into throwing away cooperation: FM spokesperson

(ECNS) -- "De-risking" and "reducing dependence" should not evolve into throwing away and weakening cooperation, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin at a news briefing in Beijing on Thursday.

The spokesperson made the remarks in response to some reports that the EU raised concerns about China over its economic slowdown, poor business environment, overcapacity, and imbalance in trade.

The EU emphasized no decoupling from but “de-risking” with China.

The concerns raised by the EU are inconsistent with the facts, Wang said.

He hopes the EU will observe China’s development and domestic and foreign policies in a comprehensive and objective way, adopt a rational and pragmatic China policy, and promote mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides, to jointly resolve global challenges.

Despite difficulties in global economic recovery, China maintains a good momentum toward stabilizing and improving its economy, which is not easy, he noted.

In the first three quarters, China’s GDP has gone up by 5.2 percent year on year, making China a leader among the major economies, he said, adding that many international organizations have revised up the expectations for China’s economy recently.

The spokesperson stressed that China is pursuing high-quality development and actively building a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment.

He quoted a survey for the third quarter by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade that more than 80 percent of participating foreign companies are satisfied with the business environment, and close to 90 percent of the companies expect their return on investment to remain flat or increase in next five years.

He pointed out that China has never sought trade surplus. "China has actively held the China International Import Expo (CIIE) and the China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE), working for the opening up with more market opportunities and consolidating and advancing global cooperation on industrial and supply chains. China’s new development will create new opportunities for Europe and the rest of the world."

The rapid development of China’s green industry and clean technology is the result of painstaking efforts in pursuing technological innovation and building complete industrial and supply chains and is the legitimate advantage won by strenuous efforts and fair competition, he said, adding that this is welcomed by EU consumers and global users and has made tremendous contribution to global efforts in addressing climate change and promoting green transition.

The Chinese modernization is the modernization on the path of peaceful development, he said. "China has been committed to the UN-centered international system, the international order underpinned by international law, and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and advanced a global governance vision featuring wide consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits."

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership. The experience of the past two decades has shown that staying committed to the comprehensive strategic partnership will charter China-EU relations forward. From curbing inflation to promoting economic recovery, from realizing green transition and digital transformation to strengthening strategic independence, from safeguarding multilateralism to addressing global challenges, China is a reliable partner to the EU.