Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi bumps his elbow with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade on Thursday. Photo: website of Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Against the backdrop of the G20 summit in Rome and continued US provocation of relations, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited four countries in his European tour, which showed China's willingness to cooperate with Europe and expanded trust with a number of countries. 

Wang met with Albanian President Ilir Meta on Friday. Meta expressed his desire to strengthen traditional relations and friendship of the two countries, and assured Wang of cooperation to enhance peace and stability. 

Wang said the PRC restored lawful rights in the UN with the support of countries including Albania, which is the victory of justice, of the people of these countries, and of the UN Charter. China hopes to enhance exchanges on culture and education and between the youths to inherit and carry forward the traditional friendship. 

In his meeting with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Wang said China will support development of Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) via the dual engines of China-CEEC mechanism and China-Europe mechanism.

After the visit, Wang will attend the G20 summit in Rome as the Special Representative of Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Friday. 

In a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade on Thursday, Wang praised the ironclad bond between the two countries, saying the Chinese people are proud to have such a good and faithful friend.

Wang thanked Serbia for its consistent support of China's legitimate stance on issues related to China's core interests and major concerns. He said China is willing to speed up cooperation in industrial capacity building and infrastructure projects such as the Belgrade-Budapest Railway within the Belt and Road Initiative framework.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens on Wednesday.Photo: website of Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs

During his meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens, Wang said China is willing to work with Greece to advance high-quality BRI cooperation, and hopes that Greece will play a constructive role in the stable development of China-EU ties. 

Mitsotakis said Greece supports the EU in developing friendly relations with China, and is willing to expand bilateral cooperation in green development and scientific and technological innovation, and jointly tackle global challenges.

Wang's visit is a gesture of friendship and cooperation to these countries and the EU, Zhao Junjie, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of European Studies, told the Global Times on Friday.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (left) and Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias hold a press conference following their meeting at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Athens, on October 27, 2021. Photo: AFP

"Italy, Serbia and Greece are models of cooperation within the BRI framework. If this visit can promote the conclusion of new projects for the benefit of the people, it will be crucial for cementing China-EU relations," Zhao said.  

As the US attempts to rope in Europe to suppress China, it pushes the triangular relationship between China, the US and Europe in a vicious cycle. Some non-traditional security issues, such as cyber security, environmental protection, climate change and counterterrorism, need sound interaction between the three parties, analysts said, noting Wang's visit is an effort to promote positive interactions and turn instability into stability.  

Aside from promoting bilateral economic and trade cooperation, China also hopes that Italy can actively promote multilateralism and urge joint efforts at the G20 summit, Zhao said.

Photo:VCG

Feng Zhongping, director of the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Science, told the Global Times that Wang's visit in Europe could offset the negative impact and tension caused by US interference in China's internal affairs and Taiwan island's collusion with some Europe politicians. Joseph Wu, leader of the external affairs authority of Taiwan island, visited Slovakia and the Czech Republic in the name of business this week. 

Wang may emphasize the one-China principle in Europe in terms of the Taiwan question during his visit. If some European countries remain ambiguous on this issue, it could have a serious impact on bilateral relations, Feng said. 

Some experts pointed out that Albania, a NATO member, has been having good relations with China. If the BRI benefits Albania, which is in the process of EU accession, it may contribute to the healthy development of China-Europe relations, Zhao said. 

Pushing forward the new areas of China-Europe cooperation, such as digital economy and green industry, was also the focus of Wang's visit, Feng said. 

In September, China and the EU agreed to develop a green partnership and digital cooperation by setting up high-level dialogue mechanisms.