On December 4, 2023, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a group meeting with diplomatic envoys to China from the European Union (EU) and its member states in Beijing.

Wang Yi said, as President Xi Jinping pointed out that China-EU relations bear on the prosperity of the Eurasian continent and the stability of the world landscape, which need to be well maintained and developed by both sides. Under the personal care and strategic guidance of leaders of both sides, China-EU relations have shown a sound momentum of full recovery and steady progress. A series of high-level dialogues have been successfully held and important consensus on cooperation has been reached, demonstrating the resilience and vitality of China-EU relations and the strategic significance and global influence of China-EU cooperation. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership. It is an important year to build on past achievements and open up a new future. The two sides will hold the China-EU Summit, during which leaders from the two sides will have an in-depth exchange of strategic and global issues concerning China-EU relations, and will chart the course and draw a blueprint for, and boost confidence and inject impetus into China-EU relations. The two sides should make joint efforts to ensure the success of the summit and lift China-EU relations to a new height with new prospects.

Wang Yi said, over the past 20 years, the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership has maintained the momentum of forward development despite setbacks. China and the EU have formed an all-dimensional, multi-tiered and wide-ranging framework of exchanges and cooperation. The history of China-EU relations has given the two sides the following three important inspirations: First, the two sides should adhere to mutual respect. China has issued three policy papers on the EU, all of which prioritize mutual respect as the primary principle for developing China-EU relations. China and Europe have different and distinctive histories, cultures, paths and systems. Only by staying true to mutual respect can the two sides have equal dialogue and make progress together. China and the EU have different views on international and regional issues. Only by staying true to communication and coordination can the two sides play a constructive role in safeguarding world peace and stability and addressing global challenges. Second, the two sides should stay calm and focus on pragmatic cooperation. Facing complex situations and severe challenges, China and the EU have remained calm and pragmatic, and upheld the basic positioning of their partnership, the way of seeking common ground while shelving differences when getting along with each other, the cooperation mode that features mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, and the trend of multilateralism in the era, which will provide more stability and positive energy for the world and serve the fundamental and long-term interests of both sides. Third, the two sides should view bilateral relations from a strategic perspective. China has always viewed and grown China-EU relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, regards Europe as an important pole in the process of multipolarization, and supports European integration and Europe's strategic autonomy. China's policy towards Europe remains stable and will not be changed by any turn of events, as it is in line with the trend of the times toward a multi-polar world and greater democracy in international relations. Wang Yi emphasized that, if China and the EU choose dialogue and cooperation, there will be no bloc confrontation; if China and the EU choose peace and stability, a new Cold War will not be triggered; if China and the EU choose openness and win-win cooperation, there will be hope for global development and prosperity.

Head of the EU delegation to China and diplomatic envoys of EU member states to China said that the EU is committed to developing constructive and stable EU-China relations and is willing to adhere to mutual respect and maintain contact and dialogue with China. China is an important cooperative partner of the EU. The EU has no intention of decoupling from China and hopes to establish mutually beneficial and balanced economic and trade relations. The EU values China's role and influence as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, and stands ready to work with China to jointly tackle global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity and public health, and strengthen communication and coordination on hotspot issues such as Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. The upcoming EU-China Summit is an important high-level dialogue between the two sides. They believe that the summit will achieve constructive progress in EU-China relations.

The two sides also had an exchange of views on the Ukraine crisis, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and other international and regional issues of mutual interest and concern.