Shortly after the conclusion of the Two Sessions and in advance of the One Belt, One Road Forum for International Cooperation in May, EU Ambassador to China Hans Dietmar Schweisgut sat down with the People’s Daily to offer his views on a number of subjects. Discussing his personal experience in China, his hopes for future China-Europe cooperation and much more, the ambassador’s full remarks are below.

Q: You used to work in Beijing as the Austrian ambassador from 2003 to 2007, and you came back to China in 2014, this time representing the EU. Will you please share with us your China history?

A: Yes, with pleasure. I honestly did not expect to come back professionally to China. I had the opportunity to be here as Austrian ambassador from 2003 to 2007, which were some fascinating years, just ahead of the Beijing Olympics. Also at the time, I think, when relations between Austria and China – Europe, more generally, and China – developed very well. And when I then changed from the Austrian system to become a diplomat of the European External Action Service, I saw the opportunity to come back to Asia. I started as EU ambassador in Tokyo, and then came again to China in 2014. That is a great opportunity, and I think it’s a very important time for the European Union, a very important time for China, so I do hope to make a small contribution to further develop this important relationship.

Q: Since you have worked and lived in China for many years, you must have seen the great change and progress of China's social and economic development. What topics interested you from the Two Sessions, which just concluded? What do you think of the Chinese government's efforts to improve people's livelihoods?

A: Well, as you say, China is developing extremely fast. So coming back after a period of seven years meant that China had made another great leap forward. So that is very fascinating – to see that this economic and also social success story, which has been going on now for more than four decades, is continuing, and that the China as we see today is already quite different from what I saw 10 years ago. So that is something I truly appreciate, something quite spectacular.

At the same time, of course, this fast development also comes at a cost. Look, for instance, at the environment, which is a big issue in China, also noted by the leadership as one of the big questions for the future. So there are challenges ahead, but I think they are being addressed, and I think that we also have seen great progress in China's relations with the European Union. I think we can make a contribution to China’s reform, and this is what I see as one of the main opportunities at the moment.

The Two Sessions was a big event in the Chinese political calendar. They usually and very understandably focus on domestic development, on the economy, on social issues… I think what we particularly noted this year was a strong message of further opening-up and reform, which we would like to see, of course, implemented as soon as possible. We also saw a focus on sustainable development in a wider sense, including on poverty alleviation, the environment and many other things. We also noted a development in terms of further developing the rule of law, especially when it comes to civil law, and the question of a civil law code. Of course, it would be very interesting to see whether this develops further in what we think is a rule of law in all areas and also the full protection of human rights. So these are some of the issues that we noted.

I should also mention that, not only this year but also last year and before, we saw a strong focus on innovation. This is something at the center of moving to a new model of economic development, which is more based on innovation and knowledge. It’s also, I think, one of the developments that could open further opportunities for cooperation, provided this is done not in a development based on subsidies and state intervention but more on an open, transparent and market-based model, where European companies and European researchers could also make contributions.

Yes, I think there are quite a number of economic policy issues where we might have some difficulties. But I think we have to acknowledge, in all fairness, that the Chinese leadership is focusing on inclusive growth and on improving the livelihood of the people, and I think there was another strong focus [on that] this year, which is something remarkable. I think all of us, without reservation, recognize the great achievement that has been made through this economic development, which certainly has improved the lives of the Chinese people to an extent nobody would have thought possible 40 years ago.

Q: March 25 is a big day for Europe. On the same day 60 years ago, the Treaty of Rome was signed. The treaty gave birth to the European Economic Community, which was a former pillar of the EU. Since then, Europe has made great achievements in its integration. But nowadays it faces crises, such as the euro debt crisis, Brexit, terrorist attacks, etc., and the voices of Euro-skepticism have become stronger. How do you evaluate the current situation of the EU, and what do you expect to see in the future with regard to Europe’s integration?

A: I think when you have such an anniversary, like 60 years, you always ask the question, Should we be focused on past achievements, current problems or future challenges? I think we need to do all of them. I think we need to recognize that, as you rightly mentioned, Europe has achieved a lot in those 60 years. Nobody would have thought in 1957 that, 60 years later, there would be a union that would encompass virtually all the continent, overcoming the divisions of the post-war period – a continent where peace, prosperity and all the rights of people are respected, where people can freely work and study in another country. So those are huge achievements, including the fact that the European Union is the largest economic bloc in the world. It has a single currency, which is the second most used in the world.

[There are] many things I think we need to mention, because sometimes it's a bit forgotten in the current context. But, at the same time, we have these problems you mentioned. We have a prolonged economic and financial crisis. We have the refugee situation, terrorism… As you mentioned, the United Kingdom decided to leave the union. This reflects that all is not well in the European Union, and we have to recognize it. We have to understand the reasons for that, and I think we have to also find a proper way to carry on in the future.

I think one of the problems is that today's Europeans take all the achievements for granted, so I mentioned them at the beginning because we also need to mention that in Europe, to show people that the European Union has really made a contribution to changing the lives of Europeans. The second thing is, one of the reasons we see that more people have become Euroskeptics is probably because all people have a longing for economic security, but also for political stability and security. And this is something, I think, on which the European Union needs to focus in the future. We have overcome, to a large extent, the economic and political crisis, but it's still not felt enough by everybody. Unemployment is still too high, so this is one area where we need further work. The other one is internal and external security, which is something that will be at the core of what the European Union at 27 [member states] in the future will have to address. This includes dealing with internal security but also with external threats in the neighbourhood. But I think there is a very strong determination to carry forward. You know, even those people who sometimes criticize the European Union, they will not necessarily say, we can do without the European Union. It's indispensable – no nation, no country in Europe, can live in the illusion that it can go on alone. That is not how Europe will address the challenges of the future.

Q: Do you think that a multi-speed Europe will always be the solution for European integration?

A: You picked a word that is very often mentioned among the options for how the European Union could develop in the future. But even if there is some attraction connected to a multi-speed Europe, we will still have to make sure that this is not undermining the unity of the European Union.

To a certain extent, we already have a multi-speed Europe, and not all of the 28 [member states] have adopted the euro. Not all of them are members of the Schengen Zone. So these examples already exist, and I think what people have in mind when they say multi-speed Europe is that some countries, like in the area of the euro and free movement of people, could be the "avant-garde," but on the understanding that this will be an open model, open to all member states to follow if it suits them. So it's not a replacement for what we currently have; I think it's one of the ideas being mentioned to instill some dynamism in the future of integration.

Q: “China will continue to support the European integration process… We believe the challenges currently confronting Europe may turn out to be an opportunity for the European Union to become mature.” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made this statement at a press conference a few days ago. We know that there is no geopolitical conflict or clash of fundamental interests between China and the EU. China and the EU respect and support each other in dealing with many international affairs. In the future, what do you think China and the EU should do to further deepen bilateral relations? Especially, how to build partnerships of peace, growth, reform and civilization between the two sides?

A: I was obviously very happy to hear the remarks by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and similar remarks were made at the final press conference after the lianghui by Premier Minister Li Keqiang. So I think we both agree that there is major potential in further expanding the EU-China relationship. So I’ll just give you some examples.

Both China and Europe see themselves as global actors with global responsibilities. We already talked about climate change, we agree on the central law of the UN system, so there are opportunities to strengthen our cooperation in these areas, including on sustainable development. We also feel that we have at stake a responsibility when it comes to so-called crisis spots. We worked together well resolving the nuclear issue in Iran; we are working together on Afghanistan; we are hosting a conference on Syria in Brussels in two weeks' time where, again, we hope for strong Chinese participation. So that is an area, as you mentioned it under the heading of "peace," where I think we already cooperate strongly and where we’ve had a steady deepening of the relationship in the last years.

We have already a really strong economic relationship, the European Union being China’s largest trading partner and China our second largest. And this is something that benefits both sides. At the same time, we see that our economies are further developing in the digital era. China's economy is becoming more sophisticated. Services and investments are becoming more important, equally important as trading goods, so these are opportunities that need to be harnessed, and we hope to do so by speeding up our negotiations on an ambitious, comprehensive investment agreement, which I think could go a long way in providing a more level playing field and opening up China's market in the same way the European market is already open. This would open new opportunities not only for our companies but also for bilateral trade and for further cooperative innovation and future preparations.

I think if we could go in this direction and China could really open up, this will also give a lot of credibility to China's championing of the international global market, as we saw in the speech by President Xi Jinping in Davos. But let me also mention the people-to-people dimension, which is equally, if not more, important than many other things. An increasing number of Chinese and Europeans visit each other and travel to the other place study. We will start negotiations on visa facilitation and a re-admission agreement. We will have a year of Europe-China tourism next year, so I see also great expansion of this human exchange, which is at the heart of what we are doing.

Q: Two thousand years ago, the Silk Road connected Rome and Xi’an. Now, China has launched the Belt and Road Initiative, which definitely brings new opportunities to both the EU and China. In May, the One Belt, One Road Forum for International Cooperation will be held in Beijing. What are your expectations for this forum? And how do you think China and the EU can benefit from the initiative?

A: We have seen many Silk Roads over the last 2,000 years, and I think we should be grateful to China and President Xi Jinping for having used this metaphor to draw attention to the need for investment and connectivity to facilitate economic interchange. This was pointed out by international institutions like the Asian Development bank quite a while ago – that we need more investment, particularly in infrastructure.

I think from the European side, where we place a lot of attention on better connecting Europe and better connecting Europe with neighbouring regions, it makes perfect sense to work together on Eurasian connectivity. A number of European leaders have been invited to the forum. From the European Commission, Vice President Katainen has been invited and will attend. We see there is a good opportunity to openly discuss this connectivity and the new Silk Roads. We also think that by doing this, we can come to an inclusive approach that is transparent, that brings in all the stakeholders, where we can design the future in an open and transparent way, making sure that all participating countries fully identify with it and also feel a sense of ownership.