Amid Winter Olympics Boycott Concerns, Chinese Foreign Minister Rushes Across Europe

Greece, Serbia, Albania Followed by Italy and Netherlands Prime Ministers Emphasize Economic Cooperation
China Requests European Countries to Attend Winter Olympics Amid Concerns Over Xinjiang Uyghur and Taiwan Issues

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Wang Yi, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister in charge of diplomacy, who is visiting Rome, Italy on behalf of Chinese President Xi Jinping, paid a courtesy call on Mario Draghi, Prime Minister of Italy, according to Chinese media reports.

Wang also met with Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, to discuss bilateral cooperation in areas such as the economy. Previously, Wang visited Greece, Serbia, and Albania, emphasizing the "One China" principle and conducting a diplomatic campaign to prevent Europe from expanding exchanges with Taiwan.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

The state-run Xinhua News Agency reported on the 1st that Wang, attending the G20 summit as a special representative on behalf of President Xi, met with Prime Minister Draghi on the 31st of last month (local time) and congratulated him on the successful G20 summit held in Rome.

Wang greeted Draghi by saying, "China and Italy are ancient civilizations," and proposed three principles to maintain the momentum of bilateral relations: "mutual respect," "mutual openness," and "mutual cooperation (support)." Wang stated that the two countries must peacefully accept their differences for each other's development. He also requested that China be provided with a non-discriminatory business environment to expand imports of high-quality Italian products.

He further mentioned the upcoming 2026 Milan Winter Olympics and urged mutual support and cooperation for the successful hosting of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

In response, Prime Minister Draghi expressed support for the "One China" principle and the Beijing Winter Olympics, according to Xinhua. Draghi also stated that Italy would not adopt discriminatory policies against Chinese companies and would communicate with China on many issues, including climate change, Xinhua added.

During the meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Rutte, Wang also emphasized bilateral cooperation in the economy and requested support for the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Wang greeted Rutte by noting that next year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the Netherlands and said China is willing to promote greater development with the Netherlands. He urged deepening cooperation in the digital economy and green development sectors to further advance both countries' economies.

Wang also requested the Netherlands' attendance at the Beijing Winter Olympics. He said, "China wants to strengthen cooperation with the Netherlands in winter sports and hopes Dutch athletes achieve good results in Beijing," indirectly requesting the Netherlands' participation in the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Prime Minister Rutte responded by saying, "The Netherlands is willing to cooperate with China in various fields and hopes China will increase investment in the Netherlands," and expressed great expectations for the Beijing Winter Olympics, Xinhua reported.

China is conducting a diplomatic campaign with Wang visiting various European countries to explain China's position amid concerns that issues such as human rights in Xinjiang and Taiwan independence could escalate, potentially leading to a boycott of the Winter Olympics.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.