BEIJING, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's just-ended official visit to Belgium and his attendance at the 15th China-EU Summit were very successful and would help elevate China-EU ties to a new level, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said Friday.
Attending the China-EU summit for the 10th straight year, Wen stressed the strategic importance and global influence of China-EU cooperation, explored the future direction of their relations, and sent a positive message to the world that both sides insisted on dialogue and cooperation and were devoted to common development, Yang said.
In addition to attending the summit, Wen also paid an official visit to Belgium, during which he reached important consensus with Belgian leaders on further promoting bilateral ties.
Wen's European trip was very successful and had produced fruitful outcomes, Yang said, adding it had important significance for the future.
PROMOTING CHINA-EU MUTUAL POLITICAL TRUST AND STRATEGIC COORDINATION
Since China and the EU established a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2003, their relations had seen steady development, enriched connections and produced fruitful results, Yang said.
In the past 10 years, China-EU trade has quadrupled, with the EU becoming China's top trading partner and source of technology imports. Chinese investment in EU countries has increased scores of times, and both sides have set up more than 60 dialogue mechanisms to maintain close communication and coordination on international affairs.
To promote China-EU relations, Wen said China and the EU should strive to bolster confidence, strengthen strategic communication and coordination, and implement their consensus in a bid to safeguard and promote their common interests.
On the European debt problems, Wen reaffirmed China's support of Europe's efforts in resolving the crisis and pledged assistance through appropriate means.
China hoped the EU would further cement its consensus on reforms, implement relief measures and strike a balance between fiscal austerity and economic growth to inject strong impetus using a combination of means into Europe's economic recovery and sustainable growth, Wen said.
The EU side spoke positively of the enormous achievements of EU-China relations over the past decade, saying China's support and EU-China cooperation were of crucial importance to Europe's economic recovery and growth.
EU-China relations were built on the basis of mutual understanding, mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. Whatever challenges they encountered in the future, the interests of the EU and China would be closely tied together, the EU leaders said.
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