China asks EU to remain flexible on negotiations for joint investment deal

Beijing is ‘very serious about this agreement and has put a lot of effort into the negotiations’, Chinese ambassador to EU Zhang Ming says

As EU foreign ministers stop short of imposing sanctions on China over Hong Kong, Zhang says two sides are ‘always in communication’ on key issues

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China’s ambassador to the EU Zhang Ming says he hopes the bloc will meet Beijing halfway on an investment deal. Photo: Handout

Published: 7:30pm, 30 May 2020Updated: 11:34pm, 30 May 2020

Beijing has appealed to the European Union to remain flexible and pragmatic with regards to the negotiations for a comprehensive agreement on investment, while playing down the two sides’ disagreements over Hong Kong.

“China is very serious about this agreement and has put a lot of effort into the negotiations,” China’s ambassador to the EU Zhang Ming said in an interview on Friday. “We hope our EU partners will meet us halfway.”

His comments came as European foreign ministers joined the United States in criticising Beijing’s passing of a national security law for Hong Kong.

While the politicians expressed their “grave concern” at the move, they stopped short of imposing sanctions against China or cancelling a planned summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and EU heads of state scheduled for September in the German city of Leipzig.

“It takes two to dance,” Zhang said. “We hope the EU will adopt a flexible and pragmatic attitude.”

Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to meet EU heads of state in Leipzig in September. Photo: AP

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