China and Europe must together reject “the Cold War mentality”, China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Friday as EU foreign ministers sought to “re-calibrate” their position on China.
“Now some people are hyping up the narrative of democracy versus autocracy and even go to the length of having a new Cold War,” Qin Gang told reporters during a visit to Oslo.
“If we have a new Cold War, the outcomes will be even more disastrous (than previously) and will seriously damage relations and cooperation between China and Europe,” Qin added.
Qin insisted that “China and Europe should join hands to oppose the Cold War mentality and lead enhancing coordination and exchanges among major powers.”
The Chinese minister’s comments came as his EU counterparts gathered in Stockholm in neighbouring Sweden, as they seek to find a common approach to dealing with China.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the informal meeting sought to unite the bloc to “re-calibrate our position towards China”.
“If we want to be relevant on the emergence of China as a great power, European member states have to be more united and act in accordance with a common policy,” Borrell told reporters.
The EU and China are not seeing eye to eye on numerous issues, such as Ukraine, Taiwan, the treatment of Uyghurs and human rights.
