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China and EU Relations: A Brighter Future of Win-Win Cooperation

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

As the world enters a new era of rapid change and uncertainty, China and the European Union are positioned to provide stability and certainty through their strategic partnership. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, and the two sides have achieved significant progress in their cooperation. President Xi Jinping has proposed three key proposals for the future development of China-EU relations, including mutual respect, openness, and cooperation.

Key Takeaways:

  • Over the past 50 years, China and the EU have achieved fruitful exchanges and cooperation, benefiting both sides and the world, with the fundamentals and main tone of cooperation outweighing competition and consensus outweighing differences remaining unchanged.
  • China and the EU have established more than 70 consultation and dialogue mechanisms, and the political connotation of bilateral relations has become increasingly rich.
  • The essence of China-EU economic and trade relations is complementary advantages, mutual benefit, and win-win results, and it is possible to achieve a dynamic balance in the course of development.
  • In the first half of this year, the average daily import and export volume between China and the EU exceeded 15 billion yuan, equivalent to the annual trade volume when diplomatic relations were established.
  • China has implemented a visa-free policy for 32 European countries, and the number of China-Europe freight trains has exceeded 110,000, building a bridge for economic and trade exchanges between Asia and Europe.
  • President Xi Jinping has proposed new expectations for the future direction of China-EU cooperation, including deepening cooperation in traditional areas such as investment, aerospace, and nuclear energy, and expanding cooperation in emerging areas such as digital, green, biomedicine, and the silver economy.
  • China and the EU have deepened cooperation in many fields such as climate change, green transformation, digital governance, and mutual learning among civilizations, particularly in the areas of climate change and artificial intelligence development.
  • China and the EU should shoulder common responsibilities and firmly uphold free trade and multilateralism to promote the global governance system to develop in a more stable and just direction.

Statistics:

  • In the past 50 years, bilateral trade has increased more than 300 times.
  • In the first half of this year, the average daily import and export volume between China and the EU exceeded 15 billion yuan, equivalent to the annual trade volume when diplomatic relations were established.
  • The number of China-Europe freight trains has exceeded 110,000, building a bridge for economic and trade exchanges between Asia and Europe.
  • China has implemented a visa-free policy for 32 European countries.
  • The political connotation of bilateral relations has become increasingly rich, with more than 70 consultation and dialogue mechanisms established.

Sources:

  • Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 25, Special Report | Achieve mutual success and benefit the world - Open up a brighter future for China-EU relations
  • Ningde Times factory in Thuringia, Germany
  • Rohm Chemical factory in Shanghai Chemical Industry Zone, China
  • Chinese and European leaders' meeting on July 24
  • Bernd Einmayer, chairman of the German-Chinese Economic, Educational and Cultural Association
  • Yan Jin, executive director of the Center for European Studies at Renmin University of China
  • Former Slovenian President Turk
  • Kaspar Spinnen, spokesman for CATL Germany
  • Hans-Peter Hauck, chief operating officer of Rohm Group
  • Airbus Civil Aircraft CEO Scherer
  • Ante Gotovina, head of Croatia's Pelagos Fisheries Company
  • Hans-Peter Friedrich, former vice president of the German Bundestag
  • Third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, southern France
  • Former UN Deputy Secretary-General Erik Solheim
  • Michael Schumann, president of the German Federal Association for Economic Development and Foreign Trade
  • British scholar Martin Jacques
  • Sonia Bressler, a French expert on China
  • Former Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos

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