BERLIN (Reuters) – China’s ambassador to Germany called for Europe to be more open to Chinese investment, urging deeper cooperation in areas such as electric cars and 5G technology after a series of clashes.
Berlin is in the process of reassessing its relationship with China, a country it dubs both a partner and a rival.
As part of that process, Germany’s interior ministry has proposed forcing telecoms operators to curb their use of equipment made by China’s Huawei and ZTE, a move Huawei has criticised as the “politicisation” of cyber security.
“We hope that Europe will show more openness and self-confidence on the issue of electromobility and Huawei’s 5G technology,” Wu Ken said at a reception in Berlin late on Thursday to mark the 74th anniversary of the founding of modern China.
“China is in any case prepared to deepen a cooperation with Europe and Germany in which all parties profit.”
Germany’s interior ministry proposed the retroactive changes to 5G networks after a review highlighted Germany’s reliance on Chinese suppliers.
China has also been critical of the European Union’s anti-subsidy probe into China’s electric vehicle products, warning it could disrupt supply chains in the global auto industry.
“Recently, there has been a proliferation of disparaging articles and viewpoints on China’s economy by some European think tanks and so-called China experts, and China is even being portrayed as a risk for the global economy,” Wu said in the speech.
“But this fear of change and competition should not lead us to stray from the path (of cooperation) or erect barriers.”
(Reporting by Andreas Rinke; Writing by Friederike Heine; Editing by Rachel More, Matthias Williams and Christina Fincher)
