Corona crisis: Chinese Foreign Minister’s first visit to Europe
China’s foreign minister Wang Yi arrived in the Netherlands on Wednesday in his first foreign tour after the Corona crisis became a global epidemic in February. During the meeting with Prime Minister Mark Gut there, the two leaders discussed the steps to improve the global economy as well as the decisions taken in a ‘unilateral way’.
China’s official news agency Xinhua quoted Wang Yi as saying that China hopes that it will be able to work with the Netherlands to strengthen free trade and the environment in which everyone can decide together.
Prior to the Netherlands, Wang Yi was in Italy and according to the Foreign Ministry of China, he will also travel to three more countries of Western Europe, Norway, France and Germany in his week-long visit.
The yatra started from 25 August will continue till 1 September.
Professor Pushp Adhikari, an expert on international affairs, believes that the way the US is constantly trying to shore up the Asian country in the strategic and economic arena, the Chinese Foreign Minister’s visit should give a boost to the relationship already built in European countries. And it can be seen as an attempt to create a block of strong and permanent allies.
Pushp Adhikari, professor of political science at Tribhuvan University in Nepal, says that China wants to revive its stalled projects in that region for some time.
Even today, between each other’s biggest trading partners, the US and China have become increasingly concerned about protecting trade interests, China’s growing global economic impact and the Asian country’s ‘expansionist policies’ in the South China Sea.
China issue in US election
The introduction of Corona from China, then its spread around the world, and the November US presidential election have made matters more complicated.
US President Donald Trump has not only taken a number of business decisions against China and is banning Chinese companies, but the opposition Democratic Party candidate Joe Biden is being called up to ‘Beijing Biden’, that is, with China is.
Although the US and China have a trade agreement again on Monday, but President Trump is also saying at the election rally that ‘they will not talk to China at this time’.
Some even say that President Trump wants to raise the issue by covering up issues such as the failure in the fight against Corona and the plight of the American economy during his tenure.
But BBC Asia correspondent Karishma Vaswani believes that Beijing does not have the misconception that these anti-China sentiments will end soon. And Chinese companies say that whether it is Trump rule or Biden, this pressure will not be reduced.
Shannon Tezhi, editor of Diplomat, a well-known diplomatic journal, described the Chinese Foreign Minister’s visit to Europe as ‘extraordinary’.
On the question of choosing Europe for the first foreign trip after Corona, Zhao Lijian said that ‘this proves how much importance both sides attach to the relationship between China and Europe’.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman further said, “Throughout the visit, China wants to achieve three goals – both sides will pursue political and economic issues in harmony; strengthen cooperation in the fight against viruses, as well as for the world’s industrial sector.” Will facilitate the movement of goods, and will further negotiate new areas such as digital and green economy, and will share a common message that together they promote an environment of collective decision-making so that peace, stability and development in the world Will begin.
America alternative
Experts believe that in this statement, if relations with the United States deteriorate, then China has the meaning to seek some other diplomatic option and to present itself as a worker for the betterment of the world.
After meeting Wang Yi, Italy’s Foreign Minister Luizi de Mayo told journalists in Rome that the two had ‘met very beneficially’ and discussed how to reestablish our diplomatic partnership from an economic and industrial point of view. Go
Italy is the first country out of the seven developed countries in the world to have entered into an agreement with China on the Belt and Road Initiative or BRI project.
This project of China, designed to join the Silk Road and sea routes, wants to connect Asia with Europe and Africa.
After Italy’s involvement in the project in March, Germany has also shown interest in it and in this regard, in September last year, a meeting of officials of both countries was held in Bejing.
Although India is not a part of BRI, but many of its neighboring countries like Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh are partners of this project.
Shannon Taezi, however, admits that it will not be easy for China to achieve great success even in European countries, as they all accuse the Corona of its origins in many ways.
She also mentions recent decisions in Britain and France on the 5-G and Huawei cases, in which both have banned its use in the future.
A major issue in European countries is the alleged human rights abuses of Weigar Muslims in Xinjiang province of China and its steps taken in Hong Kong.
Netherlands Foreign Minister Steph Block and Italian Foreign Minister de Mayo also raised these matters in discussion with the Chinese Foreign Minister.
Professor Floral Officer, on the question of making Netherlands and Norway a part of Wang Yi’s first visit, says that these countries have been taking up human rights cases frequently in recent years.
But Professor Officer admits that the country is often seen dealing with human rights issues and business interests separately.
