Chinese President Xi Jinping yesterday called on the European Union (EU) to join Beijing in opposing “unilateral violence,” alluding to the high tariffs imposed by the United States (U.S.)President Donald Trump.
During a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Xi emphasized the need for cooperation between the EU and China in facing the growing trade conflict between Beijing and Washington.
“China and Europe should fulfill their international responsibilities and jointly resist unilateral bullying practices,” said Xi.
He emphasized that this would not only “protect their legitimate rights and interests, but also uphold international fairness and justice.”
Sanchez stated at a press conference after the meeting with Xi that trade tensions should not hinder cooperation between the EU and China.
Spain annually imports goods from China worth around 45 billion euros, making China its fourth largest trading partner, while exports from Spain to China amount to about 7.4 billion euros.
“Both Spain and Europe have a significant trade deficit with China, and we must work on correcting that,” admitted Sanchez.
However, he added, trade tensions must not be allowed to stand in the way of the potential development of relations between China and Spain, as well as China and the EU.
