Relations between China and European countries are becoming closer in face of economic globalization, with exchange of high-level visits increasing, economic and trade cooperation broadening, and people-to-people exchanges continually making headway.
Last Thursday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and leaders of the European Union (EU) kicked off the 16th China-EU summit in Beijing to work out a blueprint for bilateral ties in the coming years.
Five days later, Li will attend a China-Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) leaders' meeting in the Romanian capital of Bucharest to enhance mutual understanding and cooperation.
The two summits, held within a week, showed that China and European countries continue to broaden and deepen their relations.
During a meeting with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso prior to the summit in Beijing, President Xi Jinping said China and the EU are two major forces in maintaining world peace, two important markets to promote common development, and two civilizations to advance the cause of human progress.
China and the EU need to bear in mind the trend of changes in the global situation, grasp opportunities, accurately position the comprehensive strategic partnership amid a multipolar world and economic globalization, and blaze new trails for the development of China-EU cooperation amid global changes in industry so as to benefit the peoples of both sides and the world, said the Chinese president.
Europe, especially developed nations in the west of the continent, is an important partner of economic cooperation for China due to high economic complementarity between them and China. Moreover, China could also learn from Europe's experiences during its course of comprehensively deepening reforms.
Statistics showed that two-way trade between China and the EU exceeded 546 billion U.S. dollars in 2012, with the EU becoming the largest trade partner of China and China the second largest of the 28-member bloc.
Despite the debt crisis in some so-called "peripheral countries" in Europe, European nations are still an important export market and source of investment and technology for China.
While establishing the comprehensive strategic partnership with Western European nations, China is also promoting cooperation with CEE countries, which are called "New Europe" by Western media and analysts.
CEE countries, mainly emerging economies that have similar GDP per capita with China, are also at a crucial stage of transition to market economy, and their social and economic development is in urgent need for advanced technology and funds.
As China and those countries share broad interests, they have enjoyed good prospects for mutually-beneficial and win-win cooperation in such fields as infrastructure, finance and green economy.
Out of concerns about geopolitical and security issues and a possible impact on European integration, Western European countries, or the so-called "Old Europe," may be worried about cooperation between China and "New Europe."
However, it should be noted that pragmatic cooperation between China and CEE nations in the economic field is not only transparent, but also inclusive.
China and Western European countries have given play to their respective advantages and coordinated with each other in pushing forward CEE nations's development.
Just as international analysts put it, broadening cooperation between China and CEE nations will help boost cooperation between the Asian country and the whole continent and accelerate all-around, balanced development of China-Europe ties.
China has always supported European integration, and a powerful, united Europe is in the interests of not only the continent, but also the Asian nation.
