INA- SOURCES
Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said it "is favourable for the healthy, stable development of ties (and) serves as good preparation for the next stage of talks.
"China is ready to work with the EU to enhance mutual trust, expand cooperation, overcome interference," Wang added.
Beijing's propaganda is also striking a considerably softer tone towards Borrell, calling him a "healthy voice" within the EU leadership as well as toning down earlier criticism where they accused the EU of "gunboat diplomacy" and "leading the EU in a ditch" when it came to relations with Beijing.
Borell, too seems to be set on reconciliation. In his Blog on China, he says he wants to "revers the negative trend in EU-China relations.
"The EU's current position on China, endorsed by the European Council in 2020, is based on the known triptych: partner, competitor and systemic rival," he says.
The low point of the recent relationship was the shelving, in early 2021, of the China EU Comprehensive Trade Agreement (CAI) after an increasingly vicious war of words over human rights, Hong Kong and China's perceived aggression in the South China Sea.
Ties worsened, says Borrell, as a result of "China's disproportionate response to EU’s targeted restricted measures, China’s trade measures against Lithuania (after Vilnius upgraded its ties with Taiwan) with a direct impact on our EU single market, and China's position on the war against Ukraine," where it shows clear support for Russia.
Borrell also criticises China for not doing enough about climate change ("China still burns as much coal as the rest of the world combined".)
But he completey downplays human rights issues, putting it at the end of his blog without mentioning Beijing's discriminatory treatment of minorities such as Uyghurs, Tibetans and Mongols, the restrictions imposed on Hong Kong or its increasingly belligerent tone vis-à-vis Taiwan.
He also admits that "we have deep and serious differences here," adding that the EU-China dialogue on human rights, (a rather theoretical get-together of officials that never produced results) was resumed "after a four-year interruption. Borrell's mild stance on human rights will be duely noted in Beijing.
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