EU Eyes Closer Ties with China

The EU is pushing for a stron- ger strategic partnership with China， as in a changing world the EU and China share broad common interests and are increasingly interdependent.

The pledge was made in a joint press release following the third EUChina High-level Strategic Dialogue held in Beijing during July 9-10. The dialogue was co-chaired by State Councilor Dai Bingguo and Catherine Ashton， EU high representative for foreign affairs and the European Commission’s vice president.

According to the release， the two sides spoke highly of the positive role that the EU-China High-level Strategic Dialogue plays over the past three years in increasing understanding， trust and cooperation between Europe and China.

The two sides agreed that they should be open to new ideas for working together effectively， and remain committed to be a good example of international cooperation in the 21st century. They should continue to consolidate their comprehensive strategic partnership， on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit， said the release.

“The success of the EU-China Summit in February shows how many issues we are able to cooperate on，” said Ashton.

“We are confident that the next Summit this autumn will bring progress on trade and investment as well as how we deal with issues such as rural development， food and water security and disaster risk management，” she added.

China reaffirmed its support for European integration， Europe’s efforts to solve its debt crisis， and the stability of the euro zone. The EU reaffirmed its support for China’s peaceful development and respect for China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“The China-EU relationship has witnessed positive progress in recent years， which has become a successful example of exchanges and cooperation between nations with different social systems and historical and cultural backgrounds，” Premier Wen Jiabao was quoted as saying by Xinhua as he met with Ashton.

“The efforts to address the international financial crisis and the European debt crisis have helped the relationship between China and the EU to become more mature and stable，” Wen added.

Wen also reaffirmed that China will back Europe’s measures to boost market confidence and called for closer cooperation between the two sides in infrastructure， investment， finance， new technology and environmental protection.

The release said that the two sides agreed that they will address their differences and concerns， in a constructive manner. The two sides decided to enhance cooperation on international issues. They will intensify dialogue on global and regional areas of interest to both sides， including regular consultations， at all levels， on foreign policy， as well as contacts between special representatives and special envoys.

Furthermore， the two sides agreed to hold regular dialogue on defense and security policy. They stressed their willingness to strengthen cooperation in anti-piracy naval escorts.