(East-West Question) Cui Hongjian: How can China and Europe inject stability into a turbulent world?
China News Agency, Beijing, April 4th: How can China and Europe inject stability into the turbulent world?
——Interview with Cui Hongjian, Director of the Institute of European Studies, China Institute of International Studies
Author Xu Xueying
On April 1, the 23rd China-EU Summit was held by video.
Chinese President Xi Jinping met by video link with European Council President Michel and European Commission President von der Leyen in Beijing.
At present, the game between major powers is complicated and international disputes are rampant. How will China-EU relations go?
What is the impact on the world pattern?
How can China and Europe inject stability into the volatile world situation?
Cui Hongjian, director of the Institute of European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, recently accepted an exclusive interview with China News Agency's "East-West Question" to answer this question.
The following is a summary of the interview transcript:
China News Service: The current situation in Russia and Ukraine is still unclear, and Europe has entered an unprecedented state of instability after World War II. What is the meaning behind the meeting between Chinese and European leaders at this time?
Cui Hongjian: The
China-EU Leaders' Meeting is held according to the established agenda. It was originally an annual meeting, but it was not held last year due to various factors. It is of great significance to hold it this year.
The theme of the meeting is to focus on China-EU cooperation and in-depth exchange of views on international and regional issues of mutual relations.
The Russian-Ukrainian conflict is a background to the current international situation. As the conflict continues, its influence on the international community continues to expand, and it also has a certain impact on China-EU relations.
The two sides can exchange positions on this issue and explore the direction of cooperation, but the Russian-Ukrainian conflict itself should not be the top priority of the China-EU leaders' meeting.
China News Service reporter: During the meeting, it was mentioned that China and Europe are the two major forces in the world, the two major markets, and the two major civilizations. How do you understand the perspective of "civilization" and "China and Europe should be two major civilizations that promote human progress." "?
Cui Hongjian:
The "two major forces", "two major markets" and "two major civilizations" proposed by President Xi Jinping are three in one, corresponding to the strategic, economic, trade and cultural aspects of China-EU relations.
"Two major civilizations" is a generalization of China-EU relations from the perspective of mutual learning and common progress of human society.
Both China and Europe have long historical and cultural traditions and are the two main sources of human civilization.
From a practical point of view, paying attention to the progress of civilization ultimately solves the problem of human development, which is reflected domestically as "serving the people", and the international implication is to build a "community with a shared future for mankind".
Whether it is strategy, security or economic and trade cooperation, they ultimately serve the progress of human civilization.
In July 2021, the X75069 China-Europe train (Xi'an) was loaded with 50 trucks of goods such as frying pans, stainless steel pans, and vacuum cleaners from Xi'an International Port Station, all the way west to Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Zhang Yuan
China News Agency reporter: How to understand the stability and consistency of China's European policy?
Cui Hongjian:
The stability and consistency of China's European policy is an important manifestation of China's diplomatic principles, which is consistent with China's understanding of its own self-awareness, diplomatic mission and international responsibilities.
China has always positioned itself as a constructive force that maintains peace and promotes growth. From this positioning, China's policy towards Europe has always been stable and coherent around the core of pragmatic cooperation and common development. The decree changes.
In short, China does not bow down just because it was inferior to Europe in the past, nor does it coerce because it is stronger now.
Of course, this kind of policy stability should be mutual, and Europe should also keep its original aspirations in mind when dealing with China, and it should not be swayed by changes in the international situation and the balance of power.
China News Service: Before the meeting, some Western media exaggerated the tension and twists and turns in China-EU relations, trying to use the Ukraine issue to kidnap China-EU relations. Under the current situation that Europe's strategic autonomy towards China is under the influence of the United States, how do you think the development of China-EU relations should get rid of the logic of confrontation between the Cold War camps?
Cui Hongjian:
This is also a point emphasized by President Xi Jinping in his speech.
The United States will continue to exert influence on Europe based on its strategic goals. In particular, it hopes that Europe will be consistent with it in its understanding, goals and means of China. This is its requirement for Europe as an ally and a manifestation of American hegemony in Europe. .
For China-EU relations, in order to improve bilateral cooperation, an urgent task is to resist external interference and damage.
China and the EU should have strategic resolve and not be coerced by the outside world.
The Russian-Ukrainian conflict is, to a certain extent, a return to the Cold War mentality, such as redefining the sphere of influence and forming confrontational bloc politics.
The urgent task facing China and the EU now is to cooperate in dealing with the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, to further put an end to the Cold War mentality and prevent the return of the Cold War.
Otherwise, even if the conflict between Russia and Ukraine ceases, similar tragedies may be staged in Europe in the future.
At the same time, only by eradicating the Cold War mentality can Europe establish true strategic autonomy and truly become a stable pole in the future multipolar world.
If we follow the strategic goals of the United States, it will eventually be difficult to avoid slipping into the trap of a new Cold War.
This is an important reason why Europe urgently needs to reflect on and criticize the Cold War mentality.
China News Service: It has been 24 years since the China-EU Leaders' Meeting. Please briefly introduce its history from the origins of the summit and its establishment mechanism.
Cui Hongjian:
The first China-EU leaders' meeting was at the prime minister level, that is, the institutionalized exchange and communication between the Chinese prime minister and the principals of EU institutions.
In the past two years, there have been some changes in the form of leaders' meetings, and a summit session has been added, that is, the Chinese President and the principals of EU institutions participate.
First of all, as the top-level structure of China-EU relations, the leaders' meeting mechanism has played an important leading role in the normal and healthy development of China-EU relations for many years.
Direct communication between leaders can make decisions on major cooperation issues and concerns between China and the EU, and better translate decisions to the executive level.
Second, there is a relatively complete and systematic dialogue and exchange mechanism between China and the EU, with leaders' meetings as the top-level design, forming a complete umbrella structure.
So far, under the leaders' meeting mechanism, China and the EU have established 5 sets of high-level dialogue mechanisms and more than 70 exchange mechanisms at all levels.
The leaders' meeting plays a leading and driving role in the huge system of China-EU cooperation.
Third, the content and outcomes of the previous China-EU leaders' meetings epitomize the overall development of China-EU relations. The relationship between China and the EU has gradually spread from economic and trade cooperation to political, strategic, security, and cultural dialogues. It reflects the changes of China-EU relations from small to large, from weak to strong, and from local to overall.
This reflects the importance and results of the China-EU leaders' meeting mechanism.
April 2021, Review and Outlook: China-EU Economic and Strategic Relations Forum will be held in Beijing.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Jiang Qiming
China News Service: The press release issued by the Chinese side after the meeting pointed out that China-EU relations need to "provide some stabilizing factors for the turbulent world situation". According to data from the General Administration of Customs of China, in the first two months of this year, the EU surpassed ASEAN to become China's largest trading partner. What can we expect from the prospects of China-EU economic and trade cooperation?
Cui Hongjian:
First of all, it is necessary to stabilize economic and trade relations. Whether it is the epidemic or the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, it continues to cause continuous impact and impact on the supply chain and industrial chain related to China-EU economic and trade cooperation, including the market, finance, energy and other fields.
China-EU economic and trade cooperation needs to enhance resilience and resilience in an uncertain and unstable environment.
Second, we must seize the opportunity of future economic recovery to further strengthen the depth and breadth of bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
Depth refers to solidifying and increasing existing economic and trade cooperation; breadth refers to further strengthening cooperation in emerging fields such as green and digital.
This is also to respond to changes in the international situation and promote better mutual benefit and win-win between China and the EU.
In September 2019, Nanning, Guangxi, the 2019 China-EU Green and Smart City Summit released the "China-EU Green and Smart City Nanning Consensus".
Photo by China News Agency reporter Yu Jing
China News Agency reporter: How should China and the EU further expand the space for cooperation in the joint fight against the epidemic?
Cui Hongjian:
China and the EU have focused on the issue of international public health cooperation before, including early cooperation in medical supplies and vaccines.
Next, both sides need to find a common direction, gradually overcome the impact of the epidemic, so that cooperation between the two sides will not be hindered and stagnant.
At present, most European countries are gradually adapting to the changes in the epidemic and entering the stage of "normalization" of epidemic prevention. China is facing the test of a new wave of epidemics. However, the two sides need to pass measures such as mutual certification of vaccines and loosening of restrictive measures, so that exchanges and exchanges can return to normal as soon as possible.
This is a problem that urgently needs to be solved jointly by both parties.
(over)
Interviewee Profile:
Cui Hongjian, graduated from the School of International Relations of Peking University in 1998 with a doctorate in law.
In the same year, he joined the China Institute of International Studies and worked as a diplomat in charge of political affairs in Chinese embassies and consulates abroad.
He is currently a researcher at the China Institute of International Studies, director of the Institute of European Studies, director of the China Economic and Social Council, vice president of the Chinese Society for Europe, and executive director of the European Center of the China Foundation for International Studies.
Enjoy the special allowance for experts of the State Council.
His main research interests and fields are international politics and Chinese diplomacy, European politics, economics and security affairs, NATO and regional security, and Sino-European relations. He has published many papers, policy reports and review articles.