China on Wednesday urged the European Union not to turn "beneficial competition" between the two partners into a "rivalry" after Brussels outlined a shift to more assertive relations with Beijing. Top European policymakers on Tuesday released a 10-point plan for addressing relations with Beijing as fears grow about Chinese investment and influence on critical infrastructure, including new communication technology.
China is both a cooperative partner and an "economic competitor in pursuit of technological leadership, and a systemic rival promoting alternative models of governance," the EU said, outlining its plan. On Wednesday, China's foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang responded, saying: "In the era of globalisation, benign competition will exist between different economic systems.
"We don't want competition to turn into a rivalry type of competition." The EU is concerned about China's failure to open up its markets to foreign competitors and the distorting influence of subsidies for state-run enterprises, among other issues. European leaders will be asked to sign off on the 10-point plan when they meet next week in Brussels, with senior officials urging them to take action to protect EU values and standards.
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