Warming ties with Europe

High-level visits pave way to clear misunderstandings about a developing China but more exchanges are needed

Separate missions by leaders of France and Germany to China this week are expected to bring China-Europe relations to a new stage of development, following a chilly period.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy's three-day visit, which started on Wednesday, will help amend damaged ties with China, following the disruption of the Beijing Olympic torch relay in Paris in 2008 and Sarkozy's meeting with the Dalai Lama in defiance of Beijing's opposition. The official visit by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton marks the first visit by a high-profile EU delegation since the election of its new commission members last year.