On October 13, 2023, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell Fontelles held the 12th round of China-EU High-Level Strategic Dialogue in Beijing.

Wang Yi said that China attaches great importance to its relations with the European Union (EU), and regards the EU as an important and independent pole in a multi-polar world. China-EU relations have their internal logic, and are not influenced or disturbed by any third party. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership, and the two sides have resumed exchanges at all levels across the board, and in particular, high-level meetings in green, digital, and economy and trade fields have been successfully held, resulting in new consensus and outcomes, showing the resilience and vitality of China-EU relations, and demonstrating the global influence and world significance of China-EU relations. President Xi Jinping once pointed out that China and the EU should be committed to peaceful coexistence, adhere to openness and cooperation, persevere in multilateralism, and stick to dialogue and consultation. Practice has proven that this is the important experience in the development of bilateral relations since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, and also the guiding principle for the two sides to deepen cooperation in the future.

Wang Yi stressed that the current international situation is fraught with changes and turbulence, and the world is at the crucial crossroads. Both China and the EU are faced with new situations and new tasks of development and reform, and China-EU relations are also faced with new opportunities and new challenges. At such an important juncture, the two sides need to have a correct understanding of each other through strategic dialogue, stay committed to the positioning of partnership, consolidate political mutual trust, and avoid misunderstanding and misjudgment. Both sides need to make full preparations for the leaders' meeting by the end of this year, advance dialogue and cooperation, adhere to opening up to each other, expand trade and investment, oppose decoupling and severing industrial and supply chains, and enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Both sides should properly handle differences, remove obstacles to cooperation, and ensure the sound and steady development of China-EU relations. Both sides should hold high the banner of multilateralism and jointly respond to international and regional hotspots to provide more stability and certainty to the world.

Josep Borrell Fontelles said that the EU attaches importance to its relations with China, and remains committed to growing a constructive and steady EU-China relationship. The EU is the most open economy, and the economic and trade cooperation between the EU and China serves the interests of both sides. The EU will not close its door to China or fight a trade war, and has no intention to contain China's development. The EU is glad to see a prosperous and stable China. The EU looks forward to strengthening cooperation with China in climate change response and other fields, and seeks the establishment of more balanced and equal economic and trade relations, so as to accumulate tangible outcomes for the EU-China leaders' meeting, and provide enterprises with a fairer and more just business environment. The two sides can strengthen coordination and cooperation to promote the reform of the World Trade Organization, and avoid the world from splitting into two camps, which is not in the interests of either side.

Wang Yi said that China and the EU do not have geopolitical conflicts, nor do they have a major clash of fundamental interests; what the two sides have are extensive common interests and huge demand for cooperation. The two sides should focus their work and attention on cooperation and on consolidating the partnership. The governments should create a fair environment for enterprises, and offer positive expectations; economic issues should not be politicized, and both sides should jointly safeguard free trade and defend the principle of fair competition.

The two sides had an exchange of views on the Ukraine crisis and the Palestine-Israel conflict, and agreed that a political settlement to relevant issues should be promoted. Wang Yi said that the Ukraine crisis will be ended only through negotiation. China does not give up on promoting talks for peace, and will always stand on the side of peace and dialogue. China and the EU should jointly create conditions for political settlement, and promote Europe to get back to peace and stability. On the Palestine-Israel conflict, Wang Yi emphasized that China opposes moves that attack civilians, and condemns acts that violate international law. The top priority is to prevent the exacerbation of the incident, and avoid the deterioration of the situation, especially a severe humanitarian disaster. All relevant parties have the responsibility to promote the deescalation of the situation, and build international consensus and binding measures on implementing the two-state solution, in a bid to realize peaceful coexistence between Palestine and Israel.

The two sides also had an exchange of views on climate change, public health, and other issues of mutual interest and concern.