Wen's visit enhances China-EU relations: FM

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's just-ended official visit to Belgium and his attendance at the 15th China-EU Summit were very successful and would help elevate China-EU ties to a new level, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said Friday.

Attending the China-EU summit for the 10th straight year, Wen stressed the strategic importance and global influence of China-EU cooperation, explored the future direction of their relations, and sent a positive message to the world that both sides insisted on dialogue and cooperation and were devoted to common development, Yang said.

In addition to attending the summit, Wen also paid an official visit to Belgium, during which he reached important consensus with Belgian leaders on further promoting bilateral ties.

Wen's European trip was very successful and had produced fruitful outcomes, Yang said, adding it had important significance for the future.

PROMOTING CHINA-EU MUTUAL POLITICAL TRUST AND STRATEGIC COORDINATION

Since China and the EU established a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2003, their relations had seen steady development, enriched connections and produced fruitful results, Yang said.

In the past 10 years, China-EU trade has quadrupled, with the EU becoming China's top trading partner and source of technology imports. Chinese investment in EU countries has increased scores of times, and both sides have set up more than 60 dialogue mechanisms to maintain close communication and coordination on international affairs.

To promote China-EU relations, Wen said China and the EU should strive to bolster confidence, strengthen strategic communication and coordination, and implement their consensus in a bid to safeguard and promote their common interests.

On the European debt problems, Wen reaffirmed China's support of Europe's efforts in resolving the crisis and pledged assistance through appropriate means.

China hoped the EU would further cement its consensus on reforms, implement relief measures and strike a balance between fiscal austerity and economic growth to inject strong impetus using a combination of means into Europe's economic recovery and sustainable growth, Wen said.

The EU side spoke positively of the enormous achievements of EU-China relations over the past decade, saying China's support and EU-China cooperation were of crucial importance to Europe's economic recovery and growth.

EU-China relations were built on the basis of mutual understanding, mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. Whatever challenges they encountered in the future, the interests of the EU and China would be closely tied together, the EU leaders said.

EXPANDING CHINA-EU COOPERATION IN VARIOUS SECTORS

China and the EU have complementary advantages. Wen's visit stressed construction of a mechanism for medium- and long-term cooperation between the two sides to inject vitality and momentum into the sustained development of bilateral relations, Yang said.

The Chinese premier outlined a package program to deepen China-EU cooperation in such fields as the economy and trade, technology, infrastructure and financial services.

Firstly, China and the EU needed to vigorously promote the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment and stand firm against protectionism, he said.

Secondly, the two sides needed to focus on new industries, such as advanced manufacturing, new energy, new materials, biopharmacy, and information and telecommunications, and establish joint research and development centers, technology transfer centers and joint incubators, the premier told the EU leaders.

In his third point, Wen called for the establishment of working mechanisms to promote bilateral cooperation in such sectors as transportation, electric power, and telecommunications.

He said Beijing encouraged Chinese enterprises and financial institutions to engage in Europe's infrastructure construction and to set up a logistic network covering the whole of Eurasia to meet the demands of ever-increasing trade and personnel exchanges between the two sides.

Fourthly, the two sides should promote reforms of the international financial system to achieve new progress in order to maintain global economic and financial stability, Wen said.

The premier told the 15th summit China welcomed European enterprises to use the Chinese yuan in cross-border trade and investment and was willing to work with the EU to support establishing bank branches in each other's territory.

These measures would promote the comprehensive and balanced development of China-EU relations, Yang said.

Concerning the EU's launch of an anti-dumping investigation into exports of Chinese solar panels, Wen said the case triggered strong reactions in China and also raised concerns among EU businesses. Wen hoped the case could be properly solved through dialogue and consultation.

The EU side spoke highly of Wen's suggestion for advancing China-EU ties and expressed hopes of formulating a long-term cooperation plan as a strategic guide to lay the foundation for future development of their ties.

The EU was willing to deepen trade, investment and infrastructure cooperation with China, launch investment agreement negotiations, and properly settle differences through talks and negotiations.

China and the EU also issued a joint press communique and signed several cooperation documents on technology, anti-monopoly laws, and low-carbon and sustainable development.

ADVANCING CHINA-BELGIUM RELATIONS

Belgium was an important partner of cooperation for China in the EU, and the two countries had witnessed fruitful cooperation in high-tech and financial sectors, Yang said.

Wen's visit to Belgium was to further consolidate China-Belgium friendly ties, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and to facilitate China-EU relations in general, the foreign minister said.

During the visit, Wen had a fruitful meeting with Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo.

To enhance bilateral cooperation, Wen suggested both sides keep their markets open and expand mutual investment, step up cooperation in such sectors as financial services, high technology, urbanization, bio-technology, and new materials, facilitate exchanges in education and culture, and keep closer coordination on global hot-spots and issues.

Di Rupo said China was a key partner for Belgium and his country was willing to strengthen high-level exchanges with China and foster a favorable environment for Chinese investors.

He also agreed the two countries should expand cooperation in high technology, energy conservation and environmental protection, and promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

Yang said, in the past decade, China and the EU had achieved remarkable progress in their relations, with strengthened mutual political trust, deepened pragmatic cooperation, and enhanced people-to-people exchanges.

Wen's visit further consolidated China-EU and China-Belgium mutual political trust and strategic cooperation, expanded pragmatic cooperation in various sectors, and set the direction for the future development of bilateral ties, the foreign minister said.

China was ready to work with the EU and Belgium to implement the outcomes of this visit, foster a more stable, steadier and faster development of bilateral ties, and make new and broader contributions to global economic recovery and sustainable development, Yang said.