President Xi Jinping, president of BEIJING / BERLIN (Reuters), told German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday that he saw ‘different challenges’ in relations between China and the European Union and hoped that the EU would ‘independently’ make correct statements. can make, reads a statement from the Chinese government.
The statement quoted Xi as saying in a telephone conversation that the EU and China should respect each other and “eliminate interference”, adding that China was prepared to work with the world community for a “fair and equitable distribution” of COVID-19 vaccines. promote vaccine opposes nationalism.
Last month, the EU imposed its first significant sanctions on Chinese officials since 1989 over alleged human rights violations in the Xinjiang region of China. Beijing, which denies the allegations, hit back by blacklisting EU legislation and entities.
The United States, Britain and Canada have also approved Chinese officials over Xinjiang, and the series threatens to derail an EU-China investment agreement agreed at the end of 2020 after years of negotiations.
German government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer said Merkel and Xi had discussed international efforts to manufacture and distribute COVID-19 vaccines, economic cooperation and steps to protect the climate and biodiversity.
She said the leaders had agreed to deepen bilateral ties in the Sino-German government consultations planned for late April.
“The chancellor stresses the importance of dialogue on the full range of ties, including issues on which there are differing views,” Demmer said without giving details on the areas where Germany and China differ.
Reporting by the Beijing News Office and Michael Nienaber in Berlin; writing by Tom Daly; Edited by Andrew Heavens, Steve Orlofsky and Timothy Heritage