BEIJING: China and Europe should not engage in trade wars because the two sides are comprehensive strategic partners, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his German counterpart in a phone call, according to a statement from Beijing.
Germany has been one of the leading voices in the European Union expressing concern about unbalanced trade with China, citing industrial overcapacity and an undervalued currency.
Wang told German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul that strengthening mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation aligns with both sides' interests and represents the "right choice," China's foreign ministry said late Monday.
"China and the EU are comprehensive strategic partners; China and Europe should not fight trade wars," the ministry's statement quoted Wang as saying.
"China has consistently advocated that both sides move toward each other and find solutions to each other's concerns through dialogue and consultation," he added.
China hopes Germany will maintain a rational and pragmatic approach and play a positive role within the EU by promoting free trade and rejecting protectionism, Wang said.
Germany's foreign ministry said the two ministers agreed that a stable global economy is in the interest of China, Germany and Europe.
"Trade relations have to be based on fair rules and a real level playing field," the German ministry said in a post on the social media platform X.
The two ministers also discussed Iran, Ukraine and the status of Chinese-claimed Taiwan, according to the Chinese statement.
China hopes Germany will take concrete action to maintain Chinese-German relations and preserve peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, creating the conditions necessary for high-level exchanges, Wang said.
Taiwan has stepped up its engagement with European countries in recent months. Taiwanese Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim made two trips to the continent in the past year, drawing anger from Beijing. Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung made a rare visit to Germany in June that was not disclosed until the following month.
Taiwan's democratically elected government rejects Beijing's claim of sovereignty over the island.
