EU-China cooperation sets example for new style of relations

This year marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union, a bond I have devoted myself to especially when I spent six years working as ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary head of mission of the People's Republic of China to the EU. In remembering the past - and comparing it with today - I have strong memories filled with emotion.

The year 2001 was my first year in Brussels. It was also the year in which China and the EU announced they would build a comprehensive partnership. It was seen as a boost to the healthy, stable and constructive partnership the two sides had previously committed to in 1998. In 2003, the EU and China again pledged to set up and develop a comprehensive strategic partnership.

This path shows that the relationship between the EU and China has leapt forward.

China is the largest developing country in the world, while the EU represents the largest union of developed countries in the world. Under the general direction of the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership, the all-round cooperation between the two sides has expanded into various fields, setting a good example of the new type of relations between great powers.

Thanks to joint efforts by the two sides, the political mutual trust has been strengthened constantly. I was honored to have participated in 10 rounds of the EU-China summit and have witnessed the importance of these annual high-level meetings between leaders, in terms of guiding the direction of EU-China cooperation.

The establishment of the High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue at vice-minister level in 2007 was certainly a great help in resolving frictions and disagreements that arose between the EU and China, thus significantly deepening cooperation.

EU-China economic and trade cooperation continues to expand. I clearly recall that by 2004, the EU had become China's top trading partner and biggest export market. Meanwhile, China has also become the second-largest trading partner to the EU. This extraordinary picture has not changed during the past 10 years.

Last year, the trade between China and the EU exceeded $615 billion, a remarkable increase of 250 times from May 1975 when the two sides officially established their diplomatic relations. The bilateral investment between the EU and China grew from nothing, but has been booming ever since. Europe is China's fourth-biggest source of investment, but the EU is seen as the top destination for Chinese investment among all the developed economies.

The cooperation has also witnessed fruitful results in the technology field. The amount of China's technology imports from the EU almost equals the total volume that China imports from the United States and Japan.

Cultural exchanges between the EU and China have contributed to mutual communication between the two peoples. At the moment, about 280,000 Chinese students are studying in EU countries and 45,000 EU students are studying in China. With such intense personal exchanges, the foundation of EU-China relations has been further strengthened.

Admittedly, differences and disagreements remain inevitable even between close friends, and EU-China relations are no exception. I have gone through many of them myself. However, all the difficulties can be conquered as long as we face them together, as sincere friends do: through dialogue on the basis of equality and mutual respect.

Nevertheless, there are always people who are reluctant to see the thriving development of EU-China relations and will try to disrupt them in any way they can. We must not ignore these factions, but take them seriously.

I have realized that what we have achieved so far is attributed to the joint efforts of both sides. The EU-China relationship - and its many positive achievements - has not been without difficulty. So we need to look after it.

During his first visit to the EU last year, President Xi Jinping stressed that the influence generated by the development of EU-China relations is so profound that it goes beyond bilateral relations and is gaining increasing global strategic significance.

As the EU and China represent the two great powers upholding world peace, the top two markets driving global economic growth, as well as two significant civilizations pushing forward human progress, a sound China-EU relationship is beneficial to both sides and conducive to world peace, stability and development.

All the facts give us faith to believe that the EU-China comprehensive strategic partnership will definitely achieve more in the future under joint efforts from two sides.

The author is former ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary head of mission of China to the EU. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

(China Daily European Weekly 05/01/2015 page11)