China, Europe should resolve trade differences through dialogue: spokesperson
(ECNS) -- China and Europe should resolve trade differences through dialogue without allowing them to affect overall bilateral relations, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Tuesday.
Mao made the remarks when asked to comment on Foreign Minister Wang Yi's recent visit to four Eurasian countries and the message China intended to convey to Europe amid trade frictions.
From Oct. 14 to 20, Wang attended the seventh Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia as Special Representative of President Xi Jinping, and visited Azerbaijan, Croatia, Montenegro and Bulgaria.
The most important message conveyed through the visit is that trust is the cornerstone of peace, friendship is an invaluable asset, cooperation is a powerful driving force, and partnership is a shared pursuit, Mao said.
Wang noted that China's foreign policy is featured by partnership and dialogue rather than alliance and confrontation. Underpinned by partnership, state-to-state relations, regional cooperation and China-EU relations can proceed in parallel and are fully compatible, Mao said.
She pointed out that the overall China-EU relationship is sound and stable. Disagreements on trade issues in the course of growing cooperation can be resolved through dialogue and should not affect overall relations, she noted.
China and Europe share extensive common interests, as both champion multilateralism, stay committed to the UN's centrality, and remain ready to pursue political settlements of international and regional disputes through dialogue, she said.
The two sides should respect and appreciate each other, help each other succeed, and jointly shoulder international responsibility for world peace and development, Mao concluded.
(By Evelyn)
