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At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, President of the European Council Charles Michel will visit China on Thursday. The official website of the European Council said that "Against the backdrop of a tense geopolitical and economic environment, the visit is a timely opportunity for both EU and China to engage."

Several factors can explain why the European Council use the word - timely - to portray the visit. According to Gao Jian, director of the Center for British Studies at Shanghai International Studies University, from a geopolitical perspective, even though the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict was provoked by Washington, it is EU member states that have paid a heavy price.

China has been growingly important for Europe in many respects in terms of bilateral relations. And Europe is in desperate need of China's support in consideration of the critical moment it has been facing now.

In regards to the economy, hit by COVID-19 and the Ukraine crisis, the prospects for Europe's economic development are dim. Worse still, Washington is adding fuel to the fire. For instance, the US' Inflation Reduction Act will made Europe's economic growth even more pessimistic. However, China-EU bilateral economic and trade relations have maintained good momentum in the past three years since the outbreak of the COVID pandemic. Dialogue with China is necessary to improve livelihoods of the European people. 

In addition, the EU is scheduled to hold first inter-bloc summit with ASEAN in December. The EU is fully aware that it cannot achieve to smoothly promote its economic development strategy in Asia without cooperation with China.

Michel's visit comes at a time when the bloc is discussing how to deal with relations with China. EU leaders expressed increasing concern on October 21 about economic dependency on China and said they needed a united stance towards Beijing. On the other hand, in recent weeks, leaders of some major EU countries have stepped up engagement with China. 

By this visit, Michel hopes to indicate that despite some differences of views and discussions within the EU, it is impossible for the EU to stop seeing China as a partner in terms of both realistic demands and development prospects, Cui Hongjian, director of the Department of European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times. 

The significance of Michel's visit to China goes beyond the exchanges between China and specific EU member states, as he is a representative of all 27 EU members. His visit will help to further produce a pragmatic, mutually beneficial, and benign relationship between China and the EU, which will also enhance the ties between China and specific member states.

For some time, the EU has excessively politicized, weaponized and ideologicalized economic and trade relations, leading economic and trade ties between China and the EU into  stagnation. But now, the two sides could consider restarting the talks on Comprehensive Agreement on Investment, discuss relevant WTO trade standards and trade policy reforms and de-ideologize economic and trade policies, in an attempt to improve benign interactions which are beneficial for both sides, exploring more room for cooperation, Gao said. 

Europe has recently become increasingly dissatisfied with the US. In addition to discontent with the Inflation Reduction Act, Europe also accused the US of making a fortune via selling high-priced energy and weapons to Europe against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

According to Cui, the EU wants to send a signal to the US through Michel's visit to China - the EU may strive for and maintain its own interests by taking advantage of China-US contradictions. Since the outbreak of the COVID pandemic, especially since the Ukraine crisis, the EU had been standing with the US to pile pressure on China. But Washington's recent moves against the EU's interests has made Brussels increasingly aware that following the US' steps is not in line with Europe's interests. That being said, the visit is a signal to the US: America First will push the EU more inclined to cooperate with China.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn