China and EU to Become ‘Trustworthy Cooperation Partners’

Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping telephoned European Council President Antonio Costa on January 14 to advance China-European Union ties as the two hit their 50th year of diplomatic relations.

Xi said during the call that China remains confident in the EU and urged it to become a “trustworthy cooperation partner” in the face of a “turbulent international situation.”

Trade relations: China and the EU are each other’s second-largest trading partners, but trade tensions between the two have recently escalated, especially over new EU tariffs on Chinese imports of electric vehicles. Xi did not refer to the tensions, however, but said the two have formed a “strong economic symbiotic relationship.”

• China-Europe trade grew by 1.6 percent last year.
• The China-Europe freight train service set a new record with 100,000 trips last year.
• Total bilateral trade between the two was around $762 billion.

U.S. tariff threat: The call comes just days before the inauguration of United States President Donald Trump, who has threatened to impose a 60 percent tariff on all Chinese goods, has discussed imposing tariffs on European goods, and has called for more European independence from the U.S.

His presidency could prompt China to draw nearer to Europe as it seeks to challenge U.S. dominance. Trump’s return could also cause Europeans to seek closer ties with China as they question the reliability of their alliance with an “America first” United States.

Coming alliance: Your Bible prophesies of an end-time “mart of nations,” an economic alliance between China and Europe. This alliance will freeze the U.S. out of world trade.

To learn about this prophecy in detail, read “Preparing to Storm America’s Castle.”