当然，任何谈判都是建立在相互尊重和信任的基础上，是一个互让互谅的过程。我不清楚韦恩德女士为何在谈判前发出这样的声音，不知道是否是欧方采取的谈判策略，或是什么“花招”？这不禁让我想起今年3、4月份，当我和同事们正紧张地筹备第21次中欧领导人会晤时，欧方同样发出不少抱怨、指责的声音，甚至断言本轮会晤很难取得成功。但结果恰恰相反。如果这是欧方的谈判策略，我可以理解，但对此并不以为然，我认为没有这个必要。双方团队应本着真诚、尊重、互谅、互让的态度认认真真进行谈判。至于谈判速度，我们没必要做精明的兔子，还是做踏踏实实的乌龟更好。谈判要双方相向而行，这样才有希望。

Yet any negotiation is a process that requires mutual respect, mutual understanding, mutual accommodation and mutual trust. I don't know why DG Weyand made such remarks before the start of this round of negotiation. Is it a tactic or a trick played by the EU side?

That reminds me of what happened last March and April before the 21st China-EU Summit took place. Back then, my colleagues and I were busy with preparations for the summit, and the EU colleagues made a lot of complaints and even criticisms. Some were even saying that the summit would not be successful. But the summit turned out to be successful. So if this was a tactic by the EU colleagues, I could understand, yet I don't think it's necessary.

What we should do now is to earnestly advance the negotiation in good faith with mutual respect, mutual accommodation and mutual trust. Talking about the speed of the negotiation, I think it is better to be a down-to-earth turtle than a cunning rabbit. When the two parties meet each other halfway, there will be hope for the negotiation. If they work in opposite directions, then there will be less hope.

　　FT：您是否认为欧方这些言论对谈判进程不利？

　　张明：至少没有发挥建设性作用。

　　FT：影响有多大？

　　张明：很难说。我希望双方积极推动谈判进程向前走，而不是倒退。

　　FT：韦恩德总司长的言论同中国国务委员兼外长（王毅）此前一天表态也不符，王毅表示他对中欧谈判持乐观态度。

　　张明：所以说，韦恩德女士的有关言论就更加没有必要了。但目前我仍本着善意对待欧方的表态，更愿将其理解成是谈判策略，而不是立场倒退。如果欧方真的向后退，就是另外一回事了。

FT: Do you feel that those comments from the European Union have damaged progress of this negotiation?

Zhang: I am sure it's not positive.

FT: How serious is the setback?

Zhang: I don't know. I hope we will promote it forward, not backward.

FT: DG Weyand also contradicted with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister (Wang Yi) who said the night before that he is quite positive about that.

Zhang: That's why DG Weyand's remarks are unnecessary. But now I would rather interpret her remarks in a good way. I want to see it as a negotiation tactic, not that the EU trying to go backward. If it's trying to go backward, the story is totally different.

　　FT：我们此前采访了欧洲理事会新任主席米歇尔，近期欧委会主席冯德莱恩也有类似表态，他们都希望欧洲和欧盟在国际事务中更加自信。米歇尔表示不希望欧盟成为中美大国博弈的连带受损方。您如何看待欧盟试图改变其处理国际事务的方式？您认为欧方是否变得更咄咄逼人或充满敌意？在您看来，关于调整中欧关系，欧方是否还停留在嘴上说说，而不会有实际的动作？

　　张明：你们肯定长期关注中国对欧政策。中国始终坚定支持欧洲一体化进程，坚定支持欧盟团结壮大，坚定支持欧洲在国际事务中发挥更大作用。不管欧洲是处于顺境还是逆境，我们对欧政策都没有改变。到布鲁塞尔工作以来，我也同部分欧盟前政要有过接触，他们经常忆及金融危机期间中国给予欧洲的大力支持。放眼全球，几十年来始终对欧保持“三个坚定支持”的大国恐怕只有中国。欧洲是维护多边主义、反对保护主义，支持国际合作和自由贸易的重要力量，也是多极化进程中的重要力量。欧洲想要更加自信，这是好事，欧洲确实应该更加自信一点。

FT: We spoke to Charles Michel, the new Council President, recently and we heard similar messages from the Commission President von der Leyen. They want to make Europe and the European Union more assertive on the global scale. Mr. Michel said he didn't want to see the EU becoming collateral damage in a great power clash between the U.S. and China. What are your observations about how Europe's behavior is changing at the moment? Do you see EU's policy becoming more aggressive, more hostile? Or do you see this as rhetoric and no actual change in the way Europe is approaching its relations with China?

Zhang: You must have been following China's Europe policy for a long time. Our policy is consistent. We support the European integration process, support a bigger role by Europe in the international affairs and support a united and prosperous Europe. Our policy remains consistent, be it in the good times or bad times of Europe.

In Brussels, I met some former EU senior officials and they liked to talk about the kind support they've got from China during the global financial crisis. You can just look around the world. I am afraid that, in the past decades, only China has been so consistent in this policy of supporting European integration, Europe's unity and prosperity and its bigger role on the global stage.

We see Europe as an important force supporting multilateralism, free trade, and global cooperation and against protectionism. We also see Europe as an important force in the trend towards multi-polarity. I think it's a good thing for Europe to be more confident.