China-EU relations on the rise

China and the European Union have been good at good terms for decades despite the political vicissitudes in the international arena. Economic engagement has brought real benefits to both sides, cementing what was a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Even at the most challenging moments during the recent Upheavals in China-US relations, there was a general understanding in Beijing that the EU would be a reliable partner. There was a lot of talk on both sides about the bright prospects ahead.

The escalated geopolitical changes since the Russia-Ukraine conflict has made all that seem vulnerable. The EU isn't immune to the ideological virus that is causing havoc in international relations.

The April 21 and 22 meeting between US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and European External Action Service Secretary-General Stefano Sannino was a blow to Beijing's confidence in its cooperation with the EU. In a statement released after the meeting, the two sides warned China about the consequences of any form of support for Russia, accusing Beijing of coercion against other countries, human rights concerns in Xinjiang, and rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific, as well as threatening the status quo in the Taiwan Straits.

Over the last several decades, China has benefited enormously from the rules-based international order. But now they are trying to undermine Sherman's system.

A spokesman for the Chinese Mission to the EU denounced the remarks as nothing but blatant examples of bloc politics and ideological bullying. It is not China that is undermining the international system. Washington's fuse-lighting of the Ukraine conflict reveals which country is trying to blow up the system and start again.

In an article published on Sunday, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi gave a detailed analysis on the Global Security Initiative that China proposed at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference this year in an effort to clarify China's position and to reduce the trust deficit that Washington is fostering, aggravating and exploiting.

The initiative calls for all countries to act responsibly, resolve differences through dialogue and uphold the concept of shared, cooperative, sustainable security. A repeat of the Cold War hurts all countries. The EU should not let the festering wounds of that time cloud its judgment and leave it susceptible to the snake oil that Washington is prescribing as the remedy for the world's ills.