BRUSSELS, May 19 (Xinhua) -- The 11th summit of the European Union and China to be held in Prague will be "a milestone" in the development of relations between the two, top Chinese and EU diplomats said here on Tuesday.

    The summit will be "a milestone in our common journey" for a "new global order, ways to tackle the global recession, promote peace and save the planet," Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, told a seminar on EU-China relations.

    "Never has the world confronted such a complex and inter-linked set of security, economic and environmental challenges as we witness today. We live in an age where global threats require global solutions," she said.

    "China is one of our most important partners to meet the challenges of today and of tomorrow," she said. "The Chinese development model, which has achieved more in 30 years than has been achieved in two centuries, is a globalization success story not a globalization scare story."

    Also speaking at the seminar, which was organized by the European think-tank Friends of Europe, Chinese Ambassador to the EU Song Zhe said the EU-China summit in Prague will be an event important for both sides.

    "Under the storm of the financial crisis, we all understand better that our cooperation means a lot to us and to the world," he said.

    The summit, which was postponed because of a meeting between the Dalai Lama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Poland when France was holding the rotating EU presidency, will send "a positive signal" to the international community, Song said.

    "It will testify to the strategic nature and global significance of our partnership. I am confident that the summit will be a success and another landmark in the history of our relations," he said.

    Waldner and Song, both of whom flew to Prague for the summit after the seminar, stressed the importance of EU-China relations.

    "I believe that the Euro-China strategic partnership, based on economic interests, equality and mutual respect, and where possible shared values, is strong. Our relationship is strong enough to overcome differences due to distance, history, culture and even politics," Waldner said.

    The commissioner expressed her belief that as the two sides "jointly weather the economic storm buffeting the world economy and face the environmental challenges, both the EU and China will be brought closer together."

    She said the immediate common global challenges that the EU and China face are the economic crisis and climate change. A UN conference on climate change is due to take place in December in the Danish capital of Copenhagen.

    "Both the EU and China look forward to a successful conclusion at the Copenhagen summit scheduled at the end of this year. We appreciate China's constructive approach to the negotiations and hope to deepen this engagement at the upcoming summit," she said.

    However, Waldner also noted that the strategic partnership is "not about thinking alike on each and every matter." "It is true that Europe and China may disagree and have different views on some issues. Good friendships are based on openness and honesty."

    "These differences should of course be respected, but given above all the strategic need that each side has of the other they should not be allowed to undermine the overall direction of the relationship," she said.

    Waldner said: "The strength of our relationship allows us to discuss matters frankly and wherever possible overcome differences."

    Ambassador Song focused on the impact of the financial crisis on China-EU relations. "Under such circumstances, China and Europe, as two major economies, political forces and cultural sources of the world, have witnessed their relationship transcending the bilateral scope and obtaining greater global and strategic significance."

    China-EU coordination and cooperation in dealing with the crisis will boost the world's confidence in economic growth, "promote the transition of global order in the direction of justice and fairness and serve the interests of world peace and development," he said.

    "At this juncture, old-day mentality, narrow minds and conventional moves won't push our relations ahead ... we need historical insight, cross-board vision, astute wisdom and resolute decision. I am sure that we have such qualities and will apply them to pushing forward our comprehensive and strategic partnership," Song said.