Beijing denounces calls to reduce dependence on China | Abroad

Li Qiang, the Chinese premier, in a speech on Tuesday lashed out at several Western countries calling for less dependence on China. He called this a “misrepresentation” in a world of intertwined economies.

“Some people in the West are making a lot of fuss about the principle of reducing dependency and eliminating risk,” he said at the opening of the World Economic Forum in Tianjin, northern China. It is about “a misrepresentation”, he emphasized.

“With the development of economic globalization, the world economy has become a community in which everyone is intertwined,” he stressed. He used the word ‘cooperation’ countless times. “Countries’ economies are intertwined, interdependent, mutually prosperous and develop together. This is fundamentally a good thing, not a bad thing,” he said.

EU takes a closer look at China

Last week, the European Commission outlined its strategy to respond more vigorously to risks to its economic security, with China in particular in its sights. Germany, where Li Qiang was recently on an official visit, said it wanted to diversify its partners to “reduce the risks” associated with its heavy dependence on China. Other Western countries have also taken similar positions.

Also known as ‘Summer Davos’, this edition of the World Economic Forum is the first to be held in China since 2019 after the corona pandemic. The event lasts through Thursday.

“Xi Jinping is a dictator”

US President Joe Biden called Xi Jinping “a dictator” just a week ago, but also said he still hopes to meet Xi “soon”. According to Biden, the statement, which he made during a fundraiser, does not undermine the relationship between the United States and China. “I don’t think it has any real consequences,” he said. Biden made the “dictator” statement shortly after his Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with President Xi in Beijing.

China sees the US president’s statement as a provocation. According to the Chinese ambassador in Washington, Biden’s words undermine mutual trust between the two superpowers.

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