Meeting between the two sides is first high-level exchange since Donald Trump became US president and embarked on protectionist agenda
China and the European Union agreed to jointly uphold free trade and globalisation after their first high-level talks since US President Donald Trump took office. The two sides discussed a range of issues from trade to security concerns including the North Korea nuclear crisis, and the situation in Syria and Afghanistan during the Seventh EU-China Strategic Dialogue in Beijing on Wednesday. The talks were co-chaired by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and China’s top diplomat and State Councillor Yang Jiechi. Yang said after the three-hour meeting China and the EU agreed to work together to uphold world peace and improve global governance. Mogherini said in a joint press conference with Yang that the EU valued China as a permanent member of the Security Council and as a “key security and foreign policy partner”. The talks come as the EU faces a series of internal challenges. Britain, one of the bloc’s major member, has started the process to exit the union, while uncertainties have arisen with upcoming elections in several other key members including France and Germany.
