China expects further EU ties as Tusk takes over EU presidency

China congratulated former Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk for starting his five-year mandate as European Council President on Monday, pledging to further intensify partnerships.

China is willing to work with Europe to continue to cement their partnership for peace, growth, reform and civilization and fully implement the China-EU 2020 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation so as to lift the comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level, said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying at a daily press briefing on Tuesday.

She also appreciated the outgoing European Council President Herman Van Rompuy for his contribution to the development of China-EU relations, saying he had attached great importance to the bilateral relations and made a lot efforts to the end.

Tusk was elected European Council president at an EU summit on Aug 30.