Weekly
=== NEWSLETTER Nº 21===
1 June 2026
This edition brings you recent high-level diplomacy, key developments in China, and updates on China-EU relations. Enjoy reading!
Top News
President Xi Jinping Holds Talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić
On the afternoon of May 25, 2026, President Xi Jinping held talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
After the talks, the two presidents witnessed the signing of more than 20 cooperation documents in the areas of political relations, economy and trade, science and technology, education, legal affairs and culture.
The two sides issued a joint statement on continuously building a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the era and a joint statement on advancing the implementation of the four global initiatives.
On the evening of May 25, President Xi Jinping held a presentation ceremony for the Friendship Medal for Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Xi Jinping Exchanges Congratulatory Messages with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen
On May 28, 2026, President Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Xi Jinping pointed out that over the 55 years since diplomatic relations were established, China-Austria relations have weathered many challenges and maintained healthy and steady development. At present, the international situation is marked by intertwined changes and turbulence. As promoters of world peace, supporters of multilateralism and defenders of free trade, China and Austria should work together to uphold mutual respect and trust, openness and inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation.
Alexander Van der Bellen said that, at a time when the world becomes volatile and unstable, it is especially important for Austria and China to maintain broad contact, jointly uphold stability, and enhance mutual understanding. He hopes that both sides will work together to continuously deepen and upgrade bilateral relations.
High-Level Events
Wang Yi Chairs United Nations Security Council High-Level Meeting
On May 26, 2026 local time, at the initiative of China as the rotating President of the United Nations Security Council for this month, the Security Council held a high-level meeting themed “Upholding the Purposes and Principles of the U.N. Charter and Strengthening the U.N.-centered International System”. The meeting was chaired by Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
In his remarks, Wang Yi said that the international situation is undergoing the most complex and profound changes since the end of World War II. The giant ship of human civilization is sailing into dangerous waters, and world peace and development is at a crossroads. The challenges confronting us are testing the international community’s commitment to safeguarding peace, its resolve to stand up for justice, and its courage to take bold reforms. Members must stand united and act together to defend, revitalize and strengthen the U.N.
▶️ Reinvigorating the U.N. Charter for stronger leadership
▶️ Reinvigorating the authority of the Security Council for greater ability to act
▶️Reinvigorating global development cooperation for stronger mobilization
▶️ Reinvigorating the global governance platform for stronger execution capacity
▶️ Reinvigorating the effectiveness of the U.N. system for stronger vitality
Wang Yi spoke to the media after the United Nations Security Council High-Level Meeting
On May 26, 2026 local time, after chairing the United Nations Security Council High-Level Meeting, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke to the media.
Wang Yi said that China’s initiative received a positive response from all countries. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, foreign ministers from over 20 countries, and representatives of various states joined together to revisit the founding vision of the U.N. and engage in lively and in-depth discussions on defending, reinvigorating and strengthening the U.N. Important consensus was reached.
It was widely agreed that:
▶️the U.N. Charter has not become outdated and remains the cornerstone of the international order
▶️for the U.N. to better fulfill its role, it must enhance its operational capacity
▶️the trend toward a multipolar world is unstoppable, and that the domination of international affairs by one or a few countries no longer corresponds to the trend of the times
Wang Yi Meets with Foreign Ministers of European Countries on the sidelines of the United Nations Security Council High-Level Meeting
On May 27, 2026 local time, Wang Yi met with Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel.
On May 27, 2026 local time, Wang Yi met with Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric.
On May 26, 2026 local time, Wang Yi met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Petr Macinka.
China in Brief
China's State Council issues urban renewal plan during 2026-2030
China's State Council recently released an urban renewal plan, outlining key targets, major tasks and projects, as well as policy measures for the country's urban renewal efforts during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).
The plan envisions that by 2030, significant progress is expected to be achieved in urban renewal, and the shift to a new paradigm for urban development and construction will begin to deliver tangible results. Also in this period, cities will be expected to evolve into places that ensure a high quality of life for the people.
It outlines six major tasks, including fostering new drivers of urban development, creating high-quality urban living spaces, advancing the green and low-carbon transition of cities, building safer and more resilient cities, promoting the flourishing of urban culture, and enhancing urban governance capabilities.
The plan also stresses the need to make better use of underutilized land, introduce full life-cycle safety management systems for housing, construct or renovate "quality homes," and upgrade urban municipal infrastructure.
Chinese authorities unveil roadmap for AI metrology capacity building
Chinese authorities have rolled out a guideline for the development of an AI metrology system and related capacity building to map out the country's development of AI metrology capabilities in a systematic manner.
The guideline was released by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the National Development and Reform Commission.
The release of this guideline marks a critical shift in China's AI sector from simply expanding computing power and scale to improving quality and strengthening foundational capabilities, according to the SAMR.
This is of great significance for promoting the deep integration of AI technology with the real economy and accelerating the development of new quality productive forces, the SAMR said.
The guideline focuses on six key areas: foundational support, general technology, core technology, metrological technical standards, metrology service industry, and intelligent empowerment of metrology.
The outline of China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), released in March 2026, clearly emphasizes comprehensive implementation of the "AI Plus" initiative.
Shenzhou-23 astronauts enter Tiangong space station
On May 25, 2026, the three astronauts aboard China's Shenzhou-23 spaceship have entered the Tiangong space station and met with another astronaut trio on Monday, starting a new round of in-orbit crew handover.
The two crews then took group pictures for the eighth space get-together in China's aerospace history.
China-EU relations
Ambassador Cai Run’s Op-Ed: A Few Thoughts on China-EU Economic and Trade Relations
Economic and trade cooperation is an important component of China-EU relations, serving as both a “ballast stone” and a “booster” for the development of bilateral ties. Through the joint efforts of both sides, China-EU economic and trade cooperation has delivered fruitful outcomes, benefiting not only the peoples of both sides but also the world at large. According to Chinese statistics, China-EU trade reached US$828.1 billion in 2025. Today, the trade volume between China and the EU in a single day is roughly equivalent to the total trade volume of an entire year during the early period of diplomatic relations. These achievements in cooperation have not come easily and should be all the more cherished.
At the same time, we are fully aware of the EU side’s strong concerns regarding the trade imbalance between the two sides. In this regard, I would like to share several observations for exchange with you, in the hope that they may help enhance understanding among friends from various sectors on this issue, so that we can jointly address the differences and frictions through dialogue and consultation, and jointly promote deeper and more substantive economic and trade cooperation between China and the EU.
First, the Chinese side has never deliberately pursued a trade surplus. China takes a positive and open attitude toward addressing the trade imbalance issue and has adopted a series of concrete measures to this end.
Second, high-quality and competitively priced Chinese products help ease inflationary pressures in Europe and reduce the cost of living for consumers.
Third, a significant share of China-EU trade is generated by European companies operating in China, creating a situation in which the trade surplus is recorded on the Chinese side while the profits largely accrue to the European side.
Fourth, while China runs a surplus in trade in goods with the EU, the EU runs a surplus in trade in services with China.
Fifth, looking back at the history of China-EU trade, China itself ran a trade deficit for a long period of time.
Sixth, addressing the trade imbalance between China and the EU cannot rely on China’s efforts alone; it requires joint efforts from both sides.
Seventh, China hopes that the EU side will work with us to resolve economic and trade differences and frictions through dialogue and consultation.
At present, profound changes unseen in a century are accelerating across the world, while the international landscape is becoming increasingly complex and turbulent. Against this backdrop, China-EU relations carry even greater strategic significance and global influence. The essence of China-EU economic and trade relations lies in complementarity and mutual benefit. China stands ready to work together with the European side to seize opportunities and meet challenges, achieve a dynamic balance in China-EU economic and trade relations through development, and open up brighter prospects for China-EU economic and trade cooperation and for China-EU relations as a whole.
FM Spokesperson's Remarks
AFP: The European Union’s industry chief told the Financial Times newspaper ahead of a meeting of EU commissioners on Friday that the EU plans to expand tools to address imbalanced trade with China which includes stepping up the use of import quotas and tariffs to protect certain sectors like chemicals and clean technology against unfair competition. I wonder if China has any comment?
A: International trade is a two-way street. There’s no forced trade. The China-EU trade relations are win-win in nature. China does not aim for trade surplus. Focusing only on trade in goods while ignoring trade in services and investment returns, on pure quantities while overlooking trade structure and profit flows, and on imports from China while neglecting one’s own export restrictions—anyone who sees trade this way sees nothing but imbalance.
Whatever the terms—“de-risking,” “reducing reliance” or “trade imbalance,” they are just different names for protectionism, and will only hurt the interest of European consumers, raise companies’ costs and weaken Europe’s industry competitiveness in the long run. The EU needs to put trade ties with China in perspective and honor its commitment to free trade. China will closely follow the EU’s moves and take all measures necessary to safeguard legitimate rights and interests.
Weekly Quote
- Erik Solheim, former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, posted on X
Through the Lens
🔸 The World Intelligence Expo 2026 kicked off Thursday in north China's Tianjin Municipality, bringing together over 700 exhibitors to showcase cutting-edge technologies, products and application scenarios in the field of artificial intelligence.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of China, except those from the official website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Chinese Mission to the EU and other Chinese governmental websites.
Cilck to subscribe. Please let us know if you have any suggestions or comments about this newsletter.
Editor: GU Wenjie
