An Interview with Chinese Professor Gao Fei: From the EU to Russia, from the Middle East to U.S. Rivalry

While U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policy continues, shocking not only rivals but also allies, we are witnessing regional and global conflicts not only in Ukraine, but stretching from the Middle East to Asia and Africa. In these conflicts, the United States stands out as an actor that both arms the parties and plays the role of “mediator” in conflict resolution, while the steps China will take remain a matter of curiosity.

In recent years, Beijing has approached many issues in its foreign policy—often parallel but sometimes seemingly contradictory—within the same discourse. The ongoing strategic rivalry with Washington; disagreements with the European Union over trade and the war in Ukraine; deepening ties with Moscow, though shadowed by debates about their future; and criticisms of passivity despite China’s growing economic presence in the Middle East… All these issues bring to the international agenda the question of Beijing’s orientation on the global stage and its long-term strategy.

I put all these questions to Dr. Gao Fei, Vice President of the China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU) and one of the leading scholars in the field of international relations, during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Media and Think Tank Forum held at the end of July in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province in central China. Dr. Gao focuses his work on topics such as Chinese foreign policy, China–Russia relations, and great power competition, offering important insights into China’s position on the global stage through both academic research and policy analysis.

Below, I present my interview with Dr. Gao.

Relations between China and the European Union (EU) have recently taken a tense turn due to trade disputes and differences over the war in Ukraine. The China-EU summit held in recent weeks once again revealed divergences on these issues.

In their analyses of the summit, international outlets—particularly Politico, Le Monde, and Financial Times—wrote that “Brussels has maintained, and even hardened, its strategic competition stance toward China.” European commentators argued that China’s subsidized exports were harming European industry, and that Beijing’s stance toward Russia was heightening security concerns.

So, how does Beijing interpret this picture?

“China–Europe Cooperation Is in Our Common Interest”

Dr. Gao said that China still sees Europe as “a cooperative partner” and continued:

“There is no fundamental strategic contradiction between the two sides, and their economic cooperation is complementary. Currently, the world is undergoing intense turbulence and transformation. Cooperation between China and Europe serves our shared interests. China is willing to work with Europe to manage their bilateral relations well and play a greater role in maintaining world peace and stability. China also encourages cooperation with Europe and other countries to jointly pursue a path of peaceful development. Of course, China strongly opposes any country using China as a bargaining chip. Mutual respect is the premise of international relations and the foundation of China-Europe cooperation.”

How Would a U.S.–Russia Rapprochement Affect China?

Another topic that has been on the international agenda for some time is the potential impact of a possible U.S.–Russia rapprochement on China’s strategic position. Publications such as The Washington Post and The Economist have reported that realist theorists—particularly John Mearsheimer—have put forward the view that “the U.S. could draw Russia to its side in order to isolate China.”

We asked Dr. Gao about these claims. His answer was clear:

“China-Russia relations have their own logic. Over the past 300 years, the relationship between China and Russia has experienced ups and downs. In particular, the significant changes in the China-Russia relationship over the past 70-plus years have gradually taught both sides the right way for major countries to interact. Contemporary China-Russia relations are characterized by political mutual trust, close economic cooperation, and frequent people-to-people exchanges, possessing an inherent logic for collaboration, and have become a new model for contemporary major-country relations. China hopes that the new model of major-country relations between China and Russia can serve as an example and inspiration for all major-countries in the world. I globalized world all nations are closely linked and interact frequently; changes in relations between any two countries, such as the United States and Russia, inevitably affect other international relationships. However, such impact on China-Russia relations is limited. We wish that, including U.S.-Russia relations, all countries can return to the main global theme of peace, development, and cooperation.”