Dear Chinese Friends,

With this, I wish to extend my best wishes to everyone on the occasion of the Chinese New Year – the year of the Snake.

The Snake traditionally symbolises transformation, which might be the dominant feature of 2025, but it also represents wisdom, creativity and calmness – which will be needed to navigate anticipated uncertainties.

The year 2025 is a special year for the EU and China. Together, we will mark the 50^th anniversary of our bilateral relations. In these five decades, China has developed at an unprecedented speed, and the European Union has both enlarged and integrated. These changes and the geopolitical shifts, have affected our relationship.

The 50^th anniversary presents an opportunity to have a frank dialogue about the overall state of our relationship. But, more importantly, to make real progress in addressing issues that have been built over the years, rebalance the relationship and lay solid foundations for the future.

As you know, the EU perceives China as a partner, competitor and systemic rival. By adopting different approaches in different policy areas, the EU seeks to ensure that relations with China as our strategic partner are set on a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial course.

Friends,

It is essential that we continue partnering with China and maintain a positive, constructive dialogue to address global challenges, including the fight against climate change, protection of biodiversity and the environment.

With China’s rapid development, we believe Beijing is in a position to uphold its responsibilities and step up its contributions to global climate, biodiversity and environment funds. This is the logical complement to China’s impressive development as a global player.

It is essential that we build trust and a healthy relationship. If we aim at achieving common economic and social progress, it is key that our economic bilateral relationship is balanced, reciprocal and based on fair competition.

The EU remains the largest single trade partner for China. However, our trade and investment relationship with China remains strikingly imbalanced.

The EU is committed to free trade, but it must be fair. To ensure the maintenance of a functioning global trade system, we expect the fairness and non-discrimination from all our partners, including from China.

This is why we urge China to make real progress in the long and increasing list of market access barriers, restrictive and discriminatory measures that have created an extremely negative and uneven playing field for our companies.

The economies of the EU and China have strong links and our relations are of global importance. However, partnership requires a two-way street. Both sides must ensure a level playing field, market access and non-discrimination.

On people-to-people relations and mutual knowledge, new and increasing national security restrictions prevent fluent and open contacts. If we want to learn about each other, media, academic and education channels must be open. Knowledge and mutual understanding remain a cornerstone in any bilateral relation, but are even more important in the current complex geopolitical situation.

It is essential that we protect the international system. The EU calls on China to live up to its responsibilities as a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council and a geoeconomic and geopolitical power. In this particular context, we encourage China to work together with the international community to protect and ensure the respect for the basic principles of the UN Charter, but also the Human Rights Charter, UNCLOS and other international legal instruments the respect of which is essential to preserve global peace, security and stability.

A world in anarchy would be disastrous. To face the numerous global challenges, not only in 2025, but beyond, we need a world governed by international law, which is critical to ensure peace, safety and stability. Here the EU and China will have crucial roles.

Next month, on 24 February, it will be already three years since Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is an existential threat for Europe. Since the full-scale invasion in 2022, this war has impacted negatively the entire world. We cannot accept that Russia undermines security in Europe through an illegal and unjustified aggression against another country.

China has a responsibility to speak out against this war of aggression and defend the UN Charter and International Law, both in bilateral contacts with Russia and in multilateral fora. We expect China to act more decisively vis-à-vis Russia not to prolong this unjust war.

Friends,

The EU and its Member States are the largest contributors to the UN System. The EU has also financed numerous projects to support the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals established by the UN, including in China. Global governance and human rights are and will remain central to EU policies and foreign action. We hope that China can increase its engagement on these issues as well.

On a final note, let me once again refer to the Snake as a symbol of wisdom and creativity. May the Year of the Snake combine these two qualities in order to bring lasting peace and prosperity to China, Europe and all around the globe.

Xin nian kuai le!

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