Wang Yi Holds Back-to-Back Talks with European Countries, Launches Diplomatic Offensive Targeting the U.S. and Taiwan

Wang Yi: "We Must Safeguard Multilateralism and the Free Trade System"
Reaffirming the "One China" Principle

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a series of bilateral meetings with European countries on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany. As U.S.-China tensions intensify and the United States simultaneously increases pressure on the European Union (EU), his moves are seen as an attempt to secure allies by targeting U.S. unilateralism and the Taiwan issue.

According to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 15th (local time), Wang Yi, Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China (concurrently serving as Foreign Minister), met on February 13-14 during the conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, representing the host country of the Munich Security Conference, as well as Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Yonhap News Agency

He then held back-to-back talks with the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, France, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Norway, and Austria in Europe, as well as Canada and Argentina in the Western Hemisphere. Among these, leaders of countries such as the United Kingdom, France, and Canada have recently visited China to pursue improved relations, and there is also speculation that Chancellor Merz may visit China in the near future.

In his meeting with Chancellor Merz, Wang stated, “We will provide major opportunities for investment by German companies, and we hope Germany will offer a more equal and fair business environment for Chinese companies.” Chancellor Merz said, “Germany is working to uphold a rules-based international order and to safeguard the status and role of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Germany consistently opposes protectionism and advocates free trade, and it is encouraging German companies to expand their investment in China.”

During this event, Wang also held the first trilateral foreign ministers’ meeting with Germany and France and agreed to continue strategic communication. In his bilateral meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, Wang stressed that “China, France, and Germany, as three major powers, must take the lead in defending genuine multilateralism and the free trade system.”

In talks with UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, he said, “China supports free trade and opposes any form of protectionism,” adding, “We welcome investment in China by companies from the United Kingdom and other countries.” Wang also discussed issues including the operation of the “Hungary-Serbia Railway” in his meeting with Serbian President Vucic.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that a number of countries reaffirmed their positions on “one China,” and reported that Secretary Cooper stated, “We will not change the long-standing policy position we have implemented on the Taiwan issue since the establishment of diplomatic relations.”

In his meeting with the Czech side, which had previously taken a pro-Taiwan stance, Wang said, “Bilateral relations have gone through twists and turns over the past few years, and this does not serve our mutual interests,” adding, “We hope you will firmly uphold the one-China principle and respect China’s core interests.” According to the Chinese side, the Czech side responded that it “will firmly implement the one-China policy and recognizes that the People’s Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing the whole of China.”