President Xi Jinping said on Friday that a growing and developing China is not a source of Europe's problems, but a partner and fellow traveler that can help Europe address its challenges. He made the remarks when meeting with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker in Beijing.
China and Europe should resolve trade and economic frictions through dialogue and negotiation to achieve win-win outcomes and common development, Xi said.
Noting that this year marks the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Austria, he said the two countries have upheld mutual respect, openness, inclusiveness and mutually beneficial cooperation, steadily strengthening political trust and delivering tangible benefits to their peoples.
Trust and friendship are valuable qualities of China-Austria relations, transcending differences in social systems, history, culture and stages of development, he said.
Xi called on both sides to consolidate political trust, sustain the positive momentum of high-level exchanges, and build trust and dispel doubts through communication, laying a solid political foundation for future cooperation.
He said that during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, China will continue to foster emerging industries, upgrade traditional industries and expand opening-up, with a focus on the services sector. "China Opportunity 2.0" will bring benefits from both the country's market and its innovation, he added.
Xi said that China is ready to expand practical cooperation with Austria in emerging fields, including new energy vehicles, artificial intelligence, the digital economy and green development, creating new engines of growth in economic and trade ties.
He also called for broader people-to-people exchanges and easier travel to bring the two peoples closer together.
Noting the turbulence in the international landscape and the headwinds of unilateralism and protectionism, Xi said the two countries should practice true multilateralism, support free trade and contribute to a more just and equitable global governance system.
Stocker reaffirmed Austria's commitment to the one-China policy, and its willingness to strengthen cooperation with China in trade, investment, science, technology and innovation, while promoting cultural, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.
He expressed Austria's support for the development of Europe-China relations and its hope that both sides would resolve economic and trade differences through candid dialogue and consultation.
Austria is ready to strengthen multilateral coordination with China to promote sustainable development, tackle climate change and other challenges, and safeguard global prosperity and stability, he said.
On Friday, Premier Li Qiang held a welcome ceremony for Stocker. During their talks, Li said that China is ready to import more high-quality Austrian goods and expand cooperation in areas such as advanced manufacturing to deliver more tangible results.
China supports more Chinese companies investing in Austria and hopes that Austria will provide them with a fair, equitable and nondiscriminatory business environment, Li said.
The two leaders also witnessed the signing of several cooperation documents in areas including economic and trade cooperation and social security.
The Austrian chancellor is due to conclude his six-day official visit on Saturday. This is his first visit to China since taking office in March last year, and the first by an Austrian chancellor in seven years. He began the trip in Shanghai, where he attended the ninth China International Import Expo.
In social media posts during the visit, Stocker said the world needed dialogue and reliable partnerships amid turmoil, and that his trip aimed to secure jobs and opportunities for Austrian businesses.
Statistics show the value of bilateral trade reached $12.5 billion in 2025, up 2 percent year-on-year. According to the Austria Press Agency, around 650 Austrian companies run some 900 operations in China, with machinery and equipment among Austria's main exports to the country.
Cui Hongjian, director of Beijing Foreign Studies University's Center for European Union and Regional Development Studies, said that visits to China by several European leaders in the past two months show that shared economic interests and Europe's need for dialogue and cooperation with China remain strong despite differences.
Pragmatic engagement could help Europe better understand China's policies, identify cooperation opportunities and prevent disagreements from escalating, Cui said, adding that the two sides could find pragmatic solutions to their differences if they moved beyond political obstacles and unhelpful narratives.
