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ĦĦBRUSSELS, May 6 (Xinhuanet) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao
Thursdayafternoon left Brussels for Italy, ending his two-day official visit to
Belgium and the headquarters of the European Union (EU).
On Thursday morning, Wen held talks with European Commission (EC) President Romano Prodi, vowing to further
consolidate and develop the all-around strategic partnership between China and
thebloc.
The premier put forward a five-point proposal for
boosting China-EU relations:
-- To enhance discussions on strategic issues between
Chinese and European leaders;
-- To expand China-EU economic and technological
cooperation;
-- To consolidate legal and safeguarding mechanisms
for cooperation between the two sides;
-- To boost communications and dialogue between the
parliaments,academic organizations, research institutes and media organizations
from the two sides; and
-- To improve consultation mechanisms on settling
disputes and differences arising from bilateral ties, including those related to
trade and human rights.
Prodi extended a warm welcome to Wen on his first
visit to theexecutive arm of the EU, noting that relations between the EU and
China have gone far beyond the rapid-expansion of economic and trade relations
between the two.
The EC boss vowed to take concrete steps to promote
the EU-China strategic partnership. As mutual strategic partners, both the EU
and China will make their own contribution to world peace and stability.
After the talks, officials from the two sides signed
five cooperation documents including an agreement on cooperation and mutual
administrative assistance in customs matters, the China-EU Trade Policy
Dialogue, the China-EU Competition Policy Dialogue, the China-EU Textiles Trade
Dialogue and the Joint Declaration on Galileo Cooperation.
A day earlier, Wen also met with EU security and
foreign policychief Javier Solana.
On Wednesday, Wen held talks with Belgian Prime
Minister Guy Verhofstadt who together signed a joint declaration on
reinforcingpolitical dialogue and the Articles of Association of the
China-Belgium Equity Investment Fund, a fund to encourage medium-sized and small
Belgian firms to invest in China.
The premier also met with several other Belgian
leaders on Wednesday and delivered a speech at a forum on China-EU investmentand
trade on Thursday morning, noting that China will generate enormous business
opportunities for business communities of the EU.Enditem |