Premier Wen Jiabao shakes hands with European Union (EU) Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso (L).

Visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Tuesday in The Hague that the Sino-European relations were open and not directed against any third party.

Speaking at a meeting with European Union (EU) Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, Wen said promoting Sino-European relations would help stabilize relations among major powers and was beneficial to their cooperation.

"Widening and deepening Sino-European cooperation would benefit not only the two sides but also the whole world," said Wen, who arrived earlier in the day to attend the 7th China-EU summit aimed at strengthening the comprehensive and strategic China-EU partnership.

Wen voiced the hope that China and the EU would grasp the opportunity to push forward bilateral ties, saying the two sides should look upon Sino-European ties from a strategic and long-term perspective.

"This is our common task and responsibility," Wen stressed.

Barroso said all the EU member states supported the development of comprehensive strategic ties between the EU and China, and attached great importance to the cooperation achievements made by the two sides in various fields over the past years.

He added that together with China, the EU under his leadership would further promote the friendly ties between the EU and China on the basis of consolidating what had been achieved.

Soon after his arrival, Wen attended the first round-table seminar of the Sino-European Think Tank, which was designed to promote Sino-European ties from the academic perspective.

Wen said at the seminar that the solid foundation for furthering Sino-European ties originated from profound common interest and desire for cooperation. He said China and European countries have no fundamental conflict of interests, share identical views on many major international issues and could economically supplement each other.

Referring to various differences between the two sides as discussed at the seminar, Wen said the two sides should seek common ground while reserving the differences.

Countries, with different social systems, certainly could and should co-exist peacefully, he said, adding that this reflected the diversity of world cultures.

During his stay here, Wen, who was also on an official visit to the Netherlands, would have in-depth exchange of views with leaders of the EU and the Netherlands on the future development of Sino-EU and Sino-Dutch relations as well as on major international issues of common interest.

China and the EU made a decision last year at the sixth China-EU summit to build a comprehensive and strategic partnership between the two sides, thus putting the bilateral relations on a track of mature and stable growth.

Chronology of China-EU Leaders' Meetings

-- On April 2, 1998, the first China-EU Leaders' Meeting is held in London where Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji meets EU president and British Prime Minister Tony Blair and European Commission President Jacques Santer.

In a joint declaration issued at the end of the meeting, the two sides agree to establish a long-term and stable constructive partnership and to hold such a meeting once every year.

-- On Dec. 21, 1999, the second China-EU Leaders' Meeting is held in Beijing, during which Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, EU president and Finnish Prime Minister Lipponen and European Commission President Romano Prodi review the ties between China and EU member countries before reaffirming their commitment to developing a lasting and stable constructive partnership by expanding and deepening cooperation.

-- On Oct. 23, 2000, the third China-EU Leaders' Meeting is held in Beijing, in which Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, EU president and French President Jacques Chirac and European Commission President Romano Prodi discuss China's entry into the World Trade Organization, expansion of cooperation in science, energy, information and education, crackdown on illegal immigration and dialogue on human rights and judicial cooperation between the two sides.

-- On Sept. 5, 2001, the fourth China-EU Leaders' Meeting is held in Brussels, Belgium, in which the talks between Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and EU president and Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and European Commission president Romano Prodi focus on furthering political dialogue, expanding economic and trade relations and communication in science and technology, promoting environment protection and energy cooperation, and cooperating in fighting human smuggling and illegal immigration.

-- On Sept. 24, 2002, the fifth China-EU Leaders' Meeting is held in Copenhagen, Denmark, during which Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, EU president and Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, and European Commission president Romano Prodi stress the need to expand and deepen the Sino-European cooperation based on equality and mutual benefit so that the Sino-European partnership will be brought to a new high.

-- On Oct. 30, 2003, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, EU president and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, European Commission president Romano Prodi attend the sixth China-EU Leaders' Meeting,which is held Beijing. During the meeting, the two sides sign a number of cooperation documents including an agreement on Galileo satellite navigation cooperation and a memorandum of understanding on the EU countries becoming an approved destination for Chinese tourists.