China-EU summit lends political impetus to bilateral strategic cooperation: envoy

Zhang Ming, head of the Chinese Mission to the European Union, delivers a keynote speech at a meeting releasing Edelman Trust Barometer 2020 in Brussels, Belgium, March 3, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)

Zhang said the summit sent a positive message of China and the EU strengthening cooperation and forging a comprehensive strategic partnership with greater global significance in the post-COVID-19 era.

BRUSSELS, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- The latest China-Germany-EU leaders' meeting provided new political impetus to the China-EU strategic cooperation, Zhang Ming, head of the Chinese Mission to the European Union (EU), has said, according to the updates of the mission's website on Friday.

"That gave another opportunity of strategic communication between Chinese and EU leaders after three months, lending new political impetus to the China-EU strategic cooperation," Zhang made the remarks while delivering a keynote speech at a webinar organized by the European Policy Center (EPC) three days after the summit held on Monday via video link.

According to Zhang, the summit sent a positive message of China and the EU strengthening cooperation and forging a comprehensive strategic partnership with greater global significance in the post-COVID-19 era.

Addressing the online session themed "Prospects and Challenges of China-EU Relations," Zhang gave an all-round introduction to the results of the video summit.

People perform Qigong in front of the European Commission headquarters during the China-EU Sports Day in Brussels, Belgium, Spet. 25, 2019. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

Firstly, China and the EU have made it clear that they both stand for engagement and dialogue on the basis of mutual respect and equality, for openness and cooperation, and for multilateralism, and that they both stand against isolation, decoupling and unilateralism. The two sides agreed to keep the momentum of high-level exchanges, and stay in communication regarding a 27+1 leaders' meeting, he elaborated.

Secondly, the summit helped deepen mutually beneficial cooperation. The two sides announced the signing of the China-EU Agreement on Geographical Indications (GI), and reaffirmed commitment to speeding up the investment agreement negotiations and concluding the agreement by the end of this year. It was also agreed that a High-level Environment and Climate Dialogue and a High-level Digital Cooperation Dialogue would be established.

Thirdly, the summit charted the way forward and set priorities for the development of China-EU relations, said Zhang, naming several fields where China and EU need to work together, including the fight against the pandemic, the push for economic recovery and safeguarding the international order and free trade.

The two sides agreed to continue to discuss the Strategic Agenda for Cooperation 2025, in order to set out a framework for China-EU cooperation for the next five years, according to Zhang.

A China-Europe freight train carrying medical supplies bound for Madrid of Spain departs the city of Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang Province, June 5, 2020. (Photo by Lyu Bin/Xinhua)