DgcityAustrian Chancellor Christian Stocker met Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Thursday for formal talks marking 55 years of diplomatic relations, with the European country positioning itself as a bridge between Beijing and a divided European Union.
After the meeting the two leaders witnessed the signing of cooperation documents on trade and social security. Stocker, whose country is one of the smaller but wealthier eurozone members, described China as one of Austria’s most important trading partners and said Vienna wanted to deepen cooperation in the economy, artificial intelligence, investment, tourism and culture.
Li said China would import more quality Austrian goods and wanted to expand cooperation into new energy, the digital economy and advanced manufacturing. He also called on Chinese companies to invest more in Austria and asked Vienna for a fair and non-discriminatory business environment.
The most closely watched passage of Li’s remarks was his appeal for Austria, as an EU member, to push Brussels toward what he called a rational and pragmatic China policy. European capitals have been split between countries with heavy industrial exposure to China, such as Germany and Austria, and others pushing harder on trade defense and economic security.
Austria has branded itself China’s friendly strategic partner, a designation it received in 2018, and has generally favored engagement over confrontation. Bilateral trade is modest by European standards but Austrian makers of machinery, vehicles and precision instruments rely heavily on Chinese demand, while Austrian winter resorts court Chinese tourists.
President Xi Jinping was also scheduled to meet Stocker during the visit. In a separate readout, Xi told the chancellor that a growing China was not the source of Europe’s problems but a partner that could help the continent address its challenges. Stocker said Austria supported the development of EU-China relations and backed resolving trade disputes through dialogue.
The visit also carried a personal dimension. Stocker, who has led Austria’s coalition government since earlier this year, is keen to demonstrate that small European states can maintain productive ties with Beijing despite pressure from protectionist currents on both sides of the Atlantic. Tourism agreements and direct air connections, hit hard during the pandemic years, are among the areas both governments want to restore, along with student exchanges between Austrian and Chinese universities.
