Belgian PM and Chinese President Pledge Cooperation Amid Political Tensions

De Croo warns against interference in European politics during Beijing visit, as Taiwan elections and EU-China disputes loom.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, where they pledged to boost cooperation and oppose decoupling.
De Croo warned Chinese leaders to stop interfering in European politics, a comment likely referring to a scandal involving a far-right Flemish politician suspected of being on the payroll of China’s intelligence services.
De Croo's visit comes just before the hotly contested elections in Taiwan, which China sees as a breakaway region, and as China's defense ministry warned it would 'crush' independence efforts on the island.
China and the EU have been at odds over issues such as the war in Ukraine and economic disputes, with European companies getting caught in trade rifts between the United States and China.
Xi's foreign minister, Wang Yi, expressed hope that Belgium, which recently took over the presidency of the Council of the EU, would help foster closer cooperation between China and Europe.