Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

 
Chinese Premier Li Qiang's official visit to Germany and France last week has achieved fruitful results, and will inject more vigor and dynamism into bilateral cooperation in the next stage, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing on Monday. 

"This is Premier Li's first visit to Europe since he took office, which shows that China attaches great importance to China-Germany, China-France and China-Europe relations," Mao said. 

Mao noted that China is willing to work with Germany, France and other European countries to implement the consensus reached by national leaders, and promote China-Germany, China-France, and China-Europe relations to achieve greater development.  

During Li's visit, he debunked the "de-risking" rhetoric and stressed at a meeting with German CEOs that a lack of cooperation was the biggest risk, and the lack of development was the biggest insecurity. During the press briefing, Mao also elaborated on China's stance, noting that certain countries' claimed de-risking push against China has the wrong target, and will only create genuine risks. 

Observers said that the visit has sent multiple positive signals on China-Europe relations, and one of them was to dispel misunderstandings about China in Europe amid the "de-risking" rhetoric and reduce the possibility of a widening of conflicts between China and Europe veering into confrontation.

It is also an affirmation that pragmatic bilateral cooperation remains the mainstream of China-Europe ties, with major European economies vowing to strengthen economic relations with China - despite geopolitical noises and US' stepped-up pressure, observers noted.

During his visit to Germany, Li co-chaired the seventh China-Germany intergovernmental consultation with the German side, exchanged views with Chinese and German entrepreneurs and paid visits to BMW and Siemens groups on Wednesday. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Germany rejects all forms of "decoupling," and "de-risking" is not "de-Sinicization" during the meeting with Li.  

In France, Li attended the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, which was chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and attended by more than 60 heads of state. At the summit, Li introduced China's three-point proposal on global development and governance issues, "which has received positive and enthusiastic feedback," Mao said.

Li called on the international society to firmly advance global financial governance reform to create stable financing conditions for developing countries. 
Also, China is willing to work with the international community to construct a global development partnership and promote liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, so as to offer more development resources and inject new vigor into the developing nations, the Premier said.

Global Times