Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming File Photo

Those who see China as a "systemic rival" or a "potentially hostile state" have got it all wrong: they have chosen the wrong target and they are heading in the wrong direction, Chinese Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming said on Wednesday. 

Between China and Europe, there is no geopolitical discord or conflict in fundamental interests; there is more cooperation than rivalry, and more consensus than differences, Liu said at a webinar with UK think tanks on Wednesday.

China aspires for a peaceful and stable world. China's development creates opportunities rather than challenges, still less threats, to Europe, Liu said.

China does not copy the development model of other countries, and does not export its model to other countries, the ambassador said. 

On Hong Kong affairs, Liu said some European politicians have made irresponsible remarks regarding the national security law for Hong Kong to interfere in Hong Kong affairs, which are the internal affairs of China.

I want to emphasize that Hong Kong is part of China; Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs and brook no external interference, he said.

Liu said China and Europe have the same questions before them, which are what kind of relationship they want post-pandemic, and what they should do to preserve the overall interests of China-Europe relations.

He proposed that China and Europe respect each other and reject interference in other countries' internal affairs, see each other as partners and abandon the "Cold War" mentality, seize the opportunities provided by each other's development, reject zero-sum games and learn from each other and promote the progress of different civilizations side-by-side.

Liu's remarks were made after the UK banned Huawei from its 5G network. Liu called the UK's decision "very disheartening" in a tweet on Wednesday and said Huawei has made important contributions to employment and growth in the UK since it came to the country nearly 20 years ago, and the way UK treats Huawei will be followed very closely by other Chinese businesses and influence their confidence.

Britain can only be Great Britain and exert a global influence when it has an independent foreign policy, otherwise it is just a junior partner of the US. The decisions regarding Huawei are not about security risk, but political pressure, Liu said in his tweet.

Global Times