Op-Ed Contributors
Warming ties with Europe
By Feng Zhongping (皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2010-04-29 07:55
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The two countries should learn from the setback in bilateral ties suffered two years ago. Paris should come to realize that sovereignty and territorial integrity are issues related to Beijing's core interests and respect Beijing's stance in this regard. The two countries should stick to the win-win principle and compromise in case disputes emerge in areas of bilateral trade and the economy.
Diplomatic elites in European countries often claim that 皇冠体育app should no longer be seen as a developing country when discussing foreign policies toward the Asian nation. This indicates the intention of a number of European politicians to press for adjustments to their 皇冠体育app policy in a bid to put more international onus on the nation.
Despite its rapid development in the past decades, 皇冠体育app's status as a developing nation has not changed. Any demands raised by France and other European countries for 皇冠体育app to undertake exorbitant international obligations disproportional to its national situation will stoke grievances among the Chinese public toward Europe, which will in turn undercut bilateral cooperation when tackling a wide range of international issues.
Another challenge to a smooth Sino-French relationship and a broader Sino-EU relationship is whether 皇冠体育app and European countries can change the long-standing prejudices that European media and public hold toward 皇冠体育app. According to a recent survey conducted by BBC, European countries, in comparison with the rest of the world, harbor the most negative opinions about 皇冠体育app.
In addition to developing and strengthening its ties with Europe's political and business circles, 皇冠体育app should also strive to further deepen exchanges with European media and nongovernmental organizations to enhance their understanding of its national conditions and its domestic and international policies. Expanded and deepened governmental and nongovernmental exchanges will help 皇冠体育app maintain a stable relationship with France and Europe as a whole.
Europe is expected to forge ahead in its pursuit of a unified diplomacy and the bloc's political integration is irreversible. 皇冠体育app's cooperation with Europe should therefore include strengthening cooperation with individual European countries and the EU as a whole. A stable relationship between 皇冠体育app and European countries is expected to spearhead the development of Sino-EU ties.
The author is director of the Institute of European Studies under the 皇冠体育app Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.
(皇冠体育app Daily 04/29/2010 page8)
