Foreign minister’s comments come at closely watched press conference on ‘two sessions’ sidelines
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenCao Jiaxuanin BeijingPublished: 10:11pm, 8 Mar 2026Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged European leaders to abandon bloc politics and instead “join the gym” of the China market to build muscle and competitiveness.Speaking to the press in Beijing on Sunday, Wang characterised China-Europe economic and trade ties as complementary advantages, saying that “a dynamic balance is entirely within reach amid growing ties”.
“Building fences and barriers will only lead to self-isolation,” he cautioned.
“We would be happy to see our European friends step out of the protectionist ‘attic’ and come to the ‘gym’ of the Chinese market, where they can build up their muscles and boost their competitiveness.”
Wang added that China-EU “interdependence is not a risk, intertwined interests are not threats, openness and cooperation will not weaken economic security”.
China’s trade with the European Union (EU) reached 5.93 trillion yuan (US$860 billion) in 2025, up 6 per cent from the previous year, according to Chinese customs data.
