China, EU seek stronger bond as ties mark 50 years

BEIJING - Diplomats and experts from China and the European Union (EU) on Wednesday called for strengthening cooperation amid rising global challenges, as the two sides celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year.

Organized by the EU Delegation to China, the conference titled "Encouraging Balance, Upholding Commitments, Embracing Responsibilities" brought together around 500 participants from both sides in Beijing.

Michel Barnier, former prime minister of France and former EU commissioner, delivered a keynote speech, noting that the EU and China must work together on economic stability, global free and fair trade, as well as climate change and other global challenges. He underscored people-to-people exchanges as the foundation for fostering deeper relations.

Li Jian, director general for European affairs with China's foreign ministry, said that over the past 50 years, China-EU relations have become more mature and resilient. "As long as both sides respect each other, engage in equal consultations, and address each other's legitimate concerns, we will certainly overcome difficulties and resolve differences," Li added.

Speaking with Xinhua, Jorge Toledo Albinana, EU ambassador to China, said that EU-China relations have developed into one of the most consequential relations in the world. The EU and China are good partners in fighting climate change, protecting biodiversity and the environment, he noted, adding that the two sides now have the chance to defend multilateralism within the WTO framework.

Both China and the EU need to uphold their commitments while adopting a more rational approach to their differences and deepen cooperation across four key dimensions: economy, politics, culture, and strategy, said Cui Hongjian, director of Center for the European Union and Regional Development Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Fifty years ago, in 1975, China and the European Economic Communities -- the precursor to today's EU -- established diplomatic relations, marking a pivotal moment in modern international diplomacy.