On October 16, 2015, Foreign Minister Wang Yi gave interview to Chinese media upon concluding his official visit to the Czech Republic, Poland and Bulgaria.
China's diplomacy toward Europe will take on a more colorful, balanced and practical look
Wang Yi said that the visit to the three Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) is with an important background that recently China will carry out a series of intensive high-level exchanges with three major countries, namely, the UK, France and Germany. Meanwhile, China's diplomacy toward Europe is all-dimensional and open to all European countries. We hope that China's diplomacy toward Europe will take on a more colorful, balanced and practical look. We hope to send a message through this visit that China attaches importance not only to the UK, France and Germany as traditional major countries, but to its relations with other European countries as well. The CEEC in particular are on an upward track with many of them being newly emerging markets. China's relations with Central and Eastern Europe gain increasing importance in China's relations with Europe.
Parties and statesmen friendly to China are gaining increasing public opinion support
Wang Yi said that during the visit I conveyed the regards of President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang to leaders of the three countries, and discussed the plans and blueprints of strengthening bilateral practical cooperation with them. The visit went smoothly with a series of important consensus being reached.
Wang Yi said after visiting the three countries I strongly feel that all circles of the three countries are attaching increasing importance to exchanges with China and developing cooperation with China, and being friendly toward China is becoming the mainstream in public opinion. This positive change is influencing the direction of the three countries' policies toward China to different degrees. At the previous stage, President Miloš Zeman of the Czech Republic removed interferences and pressure and resolutely attended China's commemoration on September 3, giving rise to various comments from all sides. But the Chinese Embassy in the Czech Republic told me that the public support rate of President Miloš Zeman raised rather than fall after he returned from China. And this serves as a typical case.
Wang Yi said that many countries that bear relations with China are now engaged in electoral politics. Our visit to Poland this time was on the eve of its general election. Despite their tight schedule in election, leaders of Poland still made time for in-depth and specific exchanges with us. It is China's principle that we never interfere with the internal affairs of other countries. Yet I said half-jokingly that I hope the Chinese delegation's visit will bring positive factors to your respective election. We hope to see a situation that through our unremitting endeavors and with continued convergence of each other's interests, statesmen in support of friendly relations with China can get more votes and parties pursuing friendly policies toward China can get more supports from the voters. The phenomenon that taking China as the target and criticizing China for attraction and votes once elections are approaching is abnormal and not likely to last. Sooner or later, it will be discarded by various countries' increasing mainstream public opinion of supporting cooperation with China.
Wang Yi said that this is because of China's clear diplomatic principles which aim for mutual benefits and win-win results. This has gained recognition and support from governments and people of more and more countries.
Push for sustainable development of 16+1 Cooperation
Wang Yi said that another purpose of the visit to the three Central and Eastern European countries is to prepare for the fourth China-CEEC Meeting of Heads of Governments to be held in China next month. As a new mode of sub-regional cooperation pioneered by China, the 16+1 cooperation gains increasing attention from the international community. The economic development of China and the Central and Eastern European countries complements each other, resulting in both sides' common and strong desires for the 16+1 cooperation. The advancement of the 16+1 cooperation has improved the status and impact of the Central and Eastern European countries and promoted cohesion and solidarity among the countries. As the cooperation deepens and the economic development of the Central and Eastern European countries further accelerates, the cooperation will conduce to the balanced development of each sub-region in Europe and to the European integration process. So after these years' interaction, the European Union (EU) has gradually understood, acknowledged and supported this cooperation mode.
Wang Yi said that through endeavors in the first three years, the 16+1 cooperation now witnesses an improved situation, a developed trend and established mechanisms. As to the next step, the most important thing is to bring the initiative of the 16 countries into play, mobilize their respective advantages, promote the sustainable development of the 16+1 cooperation, and get more support from cooperation in major projects such as the Hungary-Serbia high-speed railway.
Wang Yi said that President Xi Jinping's proposal of jointly building the "Belt and Road" adds new power to the 16+1 cooperation. During the visit, leaders of the three countries all expressed their willingness to support and join in the construction of the "Belt and Road", which will add richer connotations to this Meeting. He believes that the Meeting will achieve complete success.
Promoting China-EU four major partnerships will be a historical course of human society's development and progress
Wang Yi said that China always attaches importance to China-EU relations. First, as the world gradually moves forward to multi-polarization, the development and prosperity of Europe is the most outstanding part of the multi-polarization course. Second, there are no conflicts of fundamental interests between China