Baerbock warns against 'principle of hope' in EU-China relations

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned against relying too heavily on the "principle of hope" in the European Union's future relations with China.

The past has shown that the hope of strong economic relations providing security can be deceptive, Baerbock said at a meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers in Stockholm, alluding to the bloc's previously strong ties with Russia.

It was now a matter of learning from the mistakes of the past, she said.

Baerbock noted that the EU should reduce risks linked to economic dependency on China and use the power of the bloc's joint market "confidently."

"We are not the largest countries in this world, but the European Union as a whole, especially the European single market, naturally has a power and a strength that we should not underestimate," she said.