Trip is central to Sino-EU ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping (2nd R), his wife Peng Liyuan (L), Dutch King Willem-Alexander (R) and his wife Queen Maxima (2nd L) attend the welcoming ceremony held for the arrival of Xi and his delegation in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, March 22, 2014. Xi Jinping arrived here Saturday for a state visit to the Netherlands and a global nuclear summit. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

Enhanced economic relations high on president's agenda

Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Europe is expected to focus on deepening ties with key European nations and leaders and sharing his new vision of the world and future Sino-European relations, observers said.[Special coverage]

The 11-day trip will be Xi's first visit as president to Europe, where he will engage in bilateral discussions with the heads of state of the Netherlands, France, Germany and Belgium.

He will also attend the Nuclear Security Summit on Monday and Tuesday in The Hague, where he is expected to have informal discussions with US President Barack Obama.

On March 31, Xi will pay a historic visit to the EU headquarters.

Expanding economic and trade ties with Europe ranks high on Xi's agenda. He is expected to sign a series of commercial and investment agreements with the four countries.

Much attention has been placed on Xi's meeting with French President Francois Hollande and German chancellor Angela Merkel.

"Deepening our political dialogue and enlarging our economic cooperation will be the major aspect of the meeting between the top leaders," said Christian Lechervy, adviser of strategic and Asian affairs to the French President.

Lechervy noted multilateral issues will be equally important in the top bilateral meetings. Hot international issues, including the Ukraine crisis, and situations in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula, will be discussed.

Xi will also use the tour to expand Beijing's diplomatic influence and demonstrate his vision of China's soft power and the Chinese Dream, a slogan of the new leadership.

Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan will meet and interact with European academics, Sinologists and young students. He will deliver a keynote speech at the headquarters of UNESCO in Paris, and Peng will be designated as a special envoy for girls' education under the organization's mandate.

Mechthild Leutner, director of the Confucius Institute at Freie Universitat Berlin, a renowned research university, said that it is necessary to strengthen relations with China in the field of academic cooperation.

"More research projects should be put on the agenda in future," she said. "Chinese studies in Germany and German studies in China should be further strengthened so that China experts and Germany experts can play a more important role as mediators between the two cultures and societies."

Jorg Monar, director of the College of Europe, an independent institute of European studies in Belgium, said students are eager to learn more about China and hear the message from the Chinese president.

"We at the moment very much look forward to the visit of President Xi and his speech to our students," he said.

"We regard it as an opportunity to learn President Xi's vision of EU-China relations and what priorities he might suggest next."