Editor's note: On Feb 12, 2025, Chinese scholars attending the Paris AI Summit, led by Fu Ying, former Chinese vice-foreign minister, engaged with media including Le Figaro to discuss China-related topics significant to French society. Main points below.

Answer to questions about China-US and China-EU ties

Fu Ying: In China, we are focused on domestic development. Our country is in a transition of the growth model and we need an external environment of peace and stability.

We may have disagreements with the Europeans, but that is not the main thing. We must focus on what we can do together. Politicizing and securitizing issues and using them as tools to weaken the other side are not going to work.

With the United States, the Chinese side calls for a relationship based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation. The United States insists on strategic competition with China. But you do not hear the Chinese side defining the relationship with competition. We prefer cooperation, but there must be mutual respect.

Each country has its own domestic politics and we are against interference. AI is the result of years of the world's scientific progress, it serves global common good and should not be used to promote hegemony.

In any relationship, when one side deals a blow to the other side, it can also lead to harm to its own interests. In our relationship with Europe, it is important to know what is the objective of Europe. If our relationship is dominated by European criticisms on human rights, it will lead nowhere. Europeans have their own issues in this regard. For its part, China wants to have a relationship based on cooperation.

Regarding the Ukraine crisis, China has not taken sides for Europe. Countries take their own positions regarding conflicts. China wants to stay neutral and prefers peace. Things might be handled differently to avoid conflict? From the very beginning, China has called for a peaceful resolution. As early as in 2023, the Chinese side presented a 12-point peace statement and has always called for a negotiated settlement.

Fu Ying is former Chinese vice-foreign minister.