China seeks to scale up ties with EU amid Zelenskyy-Trump row over Ukraine

Beijing: China seeks to scale up its ties with the European Union following the deepening divide between the US and the EU over ending the Ukraine war, particularly after President Donald Trump's stormy meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

China is willing to work with the 27-member EU against unilateralism, Lou Qinjian, the spokesperson of China’s parliament, the National People’s Congress (NPC), told a media briefing here on Tuesday.

"Over the past 50 years, facts have proven again and again that there are no fundamental clashes of interest or geopolitical conflicts between China and Europe; rather, they are partners that contribute to each other's success," Lou said.

China wants to scale up its ties with the EU, which it regards as a lucrative market for Chinese products, particularly its AI-compatible e-vehicles and batteries.

The EU has clamped hefty tariffs on Chinese e-vehicles to protect the indigenous models.

China is also looking to cash in on the sharp turnaround in strategic alliances after the recent disastrous meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump, casting a shadow over the close US-EU ties.

The EU leaders rallied behind Zelenskyy after his tempestuous meeting with Trump, following which he was asked to leave the White House.

The meeting videos were played up heavily by the state-run Chinese media outlets.

"China-Europe relations are not targeted at, dependent on, nor subject to any third party," Lou said in a veiled reference to the US-EU ties.

The Trump-Zelenskyy fallout was a tricky moment for China as while pressuring Ukraine to settle for ending the war, the US President is also warming up to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, a close ally of Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

There is lingering concern in Beijing over the emerging rapprochement between Trump and Putin over ending the Ukraine war.

Xi and Putin share a close alliance built over the years to ward off threats from the US and its allies.

On March 1, Putin dispatched his top security official Sergei Shoigu to Beijing to brief Xi about Moscow’s current talks with Washington to end the Ukraine war.

In his talk with Shoigu, Xi has underlined the need to carry on the core spirit governing China-Russia relations in the new era featuring lasting good-neighbourliness, comprehensive strategic coordination, and mutually beneficial cooperation for win-win results.