Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs;
Credit: SIP / Yves Kortum
On Tuesday 9 March 2021, Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, had a telephone interview with his Chinese counterpart, the State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi.
The one-hour interview provided an opportunity to discuss bilateral relations between Luxembourg and China and their development prospects, particularly in the fields of logistics, satellite communications, green and sustainable finance and financial technology.
The two ministers took stock of the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic and stressed the importance of promoting multilateral cooperation in order to overcome this global challenge. They identified the fight against climate change as an area that lends itself to strengthening cooperation between China and the European Union (EU), ahead of the COP26 to be held in Glasgow in November this year.
Minister Wang Yi welcomed the conclusion of negotiations between the EU and China on the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI), an important step in opening up the Chinese market to European companies and in strengthening Sino-European relations. Minister Jean Asselborn expressed his hope that progress could be made in terms of sustainable development and labour law.
Within the framework of cooperation in multilateral forums, the two ministers had an exchange of views on human rights. They discussed the situation in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, as well as recent developments in Myanmar. Minister Jean Asselborn highlighted the crucial role that the United Nations Human Rights Council plays in strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights in the world, recalling Luxembourg's candidacy for the Human Rights Council for the 2022-24 mandate.
The two ministers reaffirmed the will on both sides to strengthen bilateral relations, recognising that 2022 will mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Luxembourg and the People's Republic of China.
