On December 20, 2022, Ambassador Fu Cong, Head of the Chinese Mission to the EU, met Bjoern Seibert, Head of Cabinet of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. They had in-depth and candid exchanges of views on China-EU relations and other issues.

Ambassador Fu said that China attaches great importance to China-EU relations and has all along viewed China-EU relations from a strategic and long-term perspective. China supports EU strategic autonomy and regards the EU as an important player in this multi-polar world. He noted that a clear and important message from the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China is the continuity and stability of China’s internal and external policies. China will continue reforms to develop the socialist market economy, promote high-standard opening up, and accelerate efforts to foster a new pattern of development, so as to advance high-quality development. As we are facing a complex and fluid international landscape, it serves the interests of China and the EU and the broader international community to uphold the comprehensive strategic partnership and maintain an onward and upward momentum of bilateral relations. Ambassador Fu expressed China’s readiness to work with the EU to follow through the consensus reached by the two leaders, deepen high-level exchanges and strategic communication, and step up interaction and dialogue at various levels, in order to enhance mutual understanding and cooperation.