BRUSSELS, May 18 -- Visiting Xinhua News Agency President Cai Mingzhao on Monday said Xinhua will serve as a bridge connecting the two peoples of the European Union (EU) and China, and help push forward bilateral ties.

He made the remarks at the College of Europe in the Belgian city of Bruges, while addressing the inauguration ceremony of a photo exhibition marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the EU.

"My colleagues told me that in the Flemish language, Bruges means a bridge. Mass media is a bridge that connects people," Cai said.

"Xinhua is willing to show Chinese people the true images of Europe through our objective, timely, and accurate reports, and also to show the Europeans the true development in China, and serve as a bridge between the two peoples," he said.

Cai said the College of Europe was an important witness to the friendship between China and the EU. On April 1 last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the College of Europe, pointing out that to move the China-EU relationship forward, the two sides need to know more about each other and need to build four bridges for peace, growth, reform and progress of civilization.

In recent years, China-EU relations embarked on a fast-track of development and there is a pressing need to make the communication bridge built by mass media from both sides much broader, longer, and more convenient, he said.

Jorg Monar, rector of the College of Europe, said at the ceremony that he believes Xinhua News Agency can play a major contribution to actually building bridges between China and the EU.

Monar said during Xi's speech last year at the College of Europe, the Chinese president emphasized the needs and importance for Europeans to better understand China, and Xinhua could play a role in this regard through its news services.

China's establishment of diplomatic relations with the European Economic Community 40 years ago added confidence in the future of the European communities as an international actor, he said.

On May 6, 1975, China established diplomatic relations with the European Economic Community, a branch of the European Community, the predecessor of the EU, and set up the Chinese mission to the organization in Brussels that September.

The establishment of the diplomatic ties helped the European communities establish their international position at that time, Monar said, adding that now the EU-China ties had gone beyond the domain of trade and economy, and expanded to comprehensive areas including security and political domains.

The exhibition, grouping photos selected from the photo database of Xinhua News Agency, was co-organized by Xinhua and the College of Europe, and showcased moments of high-level visits, people-to-people exchanges and cultural events.

Yang Yanyi, head of the Chinese Mission to the EU, also attended the photo exhibition.