On the early morning of 10 December, I stepped off the Hainan Airways flight and set foot in Brussels within the brisk midwinter. I’m no stranger to this metropolis.
Fu Cong is China’s newly appointed ambassador to the EU.
Throughout earlier visits to EU headquarters on issues associated to arms management and the Joint Complete Plan of Motion, I had the prospect to know many EU colleagues and established good working relations with them.
I used to be informed that it’s by advocating variety, inclusion, dialogue and compromise that the EU has witnessed the regular improvement of European integration. I sincerely hope that these rules can discover their expression in my future work.
Regardless of the chilly climate in Europe, I’m nonetheless enthusiastic about starting my new function because the fifteenth Chinese language ambassador to the EU, a bloc of probably the most superior economies and a pioneer in regional integration. Representing China and its pursuits, my mission right here is to behave as a bridge that enhances understanding and mutual belief and facilitates sensible cooperation between China and the EU, together with its member states. Three issues have given me confidence in fulfilling my tasks.
First, China stays dedicated to the trail of peaceable improvement. A transparent and vital message from the current twentieth Nationwide Congress of the Communist Celebration of China is the continuity and stability of China’s inner and exterior insurance policies.
Internally, China will comply with the trail of socialism with Chinese language traits, put folks entrance and centre, and deepen reform and opening up.
Externally, China will proceed to uphold world peace and promote widespread improvement, and work with different nations in constructing a world neighborhood with a shared future.
A China marching towards modernization will carry extra alternatives to the EU and the broader world. Wanting into the long run, the basics sustaining China’s prosperity and regular progress stay unchanged. Our willpower to pursue high-standard opening up stays unchanged, and so is the intense prospect of the China-EU relationship.
Second, there’s high-level political assist for an enhanced China-EU relationship. Early this month, I had the honour to attend in Beijing President Xi Jinping’s assembly with President Charles Michel the place the 2 leaders reached settlement on a variety of points. President Xi expressed the hope that the EU might grow to be an vital accomplice in China’s pursuit of modernization and revenue from the alternatives introduced by China’s big market and its efforts to advance institutional opening up and deepen worldwide cooperation.
The assembly between the 2 leaders despatched a constructive sign of enhancing mutual belief, constructing consensus and deepening cooperation, thus setting a transparent course for the way forward for China-EU relations.
Third, there are sturdy underlying forces that can drive China-EU relations in a constructive course. China and the EU are the world’s two main forces, markets and civilizations. In face of the complicated and turbulent worldwide scenario, the 2 sides ought to and will work hand in hand in bringing stability again to the world.
The decades-long relationship exhibits that China and the EU are companions quite than rivals. Regardless of our obvious variations, the 2 sides share intensive widespread pursuits and may accomplish many nice issues collectively. On this connection, upholding the excellent strategic partnership following the precept of mutual profit, managing variations by dialogue and embracing multilateralism serve the pursuits of each China and the EU in addition to the broader world neighborhood.
The second I obtained off the airplane, I noticed the solar rising on the horizon. As folks usually say in China, confidence is extra valuable than gold. I’m able to translate my confidence into actual motion and be part of EU colleagues in implementing the agreements reached between the 2 leaders to make sure the regular and sustained improvement of China-EU relations.
The Chinese language Mission to the EU and I sit up for reaching out to EU companions and interlocutors from all sectors with an open coronary heart and open arms. We hope to extend communication, increase sensible cooperation and construct a bridge of friendship and cooperation between China and the EU.
