Good rapport with Russia
Relations with Moscow are flowing smoothly for Beijing. Chinese and Russian leaders exchange frequent comments, and their trade reached about 240 billion dollars last year, a figure that outpaces earlier optimistic forecasts of 200 billion. The message is clear: natural gas from Russia warms homes in China, and many Chinese cars move along Russian highways. It was implied rather than stated directly that a similar path could open between China and the United States if Washington chose a different course. [citation needed]
That collaboration, viewed as equal and mutually beneficial, is said to bury old geopolitical habits. It represents a new model for large-country interactions that rejects Cold War thinking, avoids alliances, and shuns confrontation or attacks on a third party. [citation needed]
Confusion with the European Union
The European Union received focused but smaller attention in the morning global briefing. Beijing acknowledged Brussels can be perplexing. Since then China has been described as a partner, a systemic rival, and a competitor. A metaphor was offered: driving a car where traffic lights at a crossroads flash green, amber, and red at once, leaving unclear what action should be taken. The hope is that the green light will prevail because substantial conflicts of interest do not exist. The priority for China’s diplomacy places Brussels ahead of Moscow, explaining the frustration with Washington’s persistent stance. [citation needed]
Wang Yi spoke at length, covering Ukraine, Gaza, and the South China Sea, while omitting a recent topic that held the morning spotlight in the same briefing. Qin Gang had been dismissed months earlier following a personal scandal with a Hong Kong journalist in Washington. The same leadership shakeup also saw Wang as the top diplomat lose his ministerial role. It remains unclear whether the party intends to appoint a successor. [citation needed]