Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday that Beijing and the European Union should uphold a "comprehensive strategic partnership" in his meeting with leaders of the regional bloc, according to the country's Foreign Ministry.
The meeting in the Chinese capital came shortly after Italy officially informed China of its withdrawal from the Asian country's signature Belt and Road global infrastructure initiative, according to media reports.
In the first in-person EU-China summit since 2019 attended by European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Xi also said the two sides "should steer clear of various kinds of interference and step up dialogue and cooperation," alluding to the EU's ties with the United States.
Xi added China and the EU need to oppose bloc confrontation and address international and regional hot-spot issues through political means. The two EU leaders said Brussels will communicate with Beijing closely to help settle the Ukraine crisis and the Middle East conflict, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Von der Leyen said in her introductory remarks both Brussels and Beijing have "a shared interest in peace and security in the effective functioning of the rules-based international order" and called for putting an end to the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
There have been concerns that China has been providing weapons to support Russia and has been helping Moscow circumvent Western sanctions.
Von der Leyen also expressed the EU's eagerness to discuss how to rebalance its economic relationship with China, saying there are "clear imbalances and differences that we must address." The leader stressed the importance of "de-risking," or reducing economic dependence on the Asian powerhouse, to strengthen the resilience of the EU economy.
The EU's trade deficit with China swelled to about 400 billion euros ($430 billion) in 2022. The regional bloc has launched a probe into China's subsidies for electric vehicles exported to the EU, which may result in the levying of countervailing tariffs.
The two EU leaders were believed to have met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang later in the day.
As for Italy, which in 2019 became the only Group of Seven major economy to join the Belt and Road scheme, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin did not confirm whether Rome had officially notified Beijing it is pulling out of the initiative at a press conference Thursday.
China "firmly opposes attempts to smear and sabotage Belt and Road cooperation or stoke block confrontation and division," he said. The memorandum for Italy's participation will reportedly expire in March.
