Chinese Premier Wen Jiabo (R) shakes hands with Jose Manuel Barroso, president of EU Commission, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, July 14, 2005.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Thursday appealed for improving the comprehensive strategic partnership with its largest trade partner, the European Union.

"Both China and the EU hope to play a bigger role in international affairs and develop ourselves in a peaceful, fair and orderly political and economic international environment," Wen told visiting EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

"Consequently, both sides should enhance cooperation and expand and deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership, which are the right choice and should be a long-term goal," he said during talks with the EU senior official in the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing.

Wen called on both sides to prepare well for the eighth China-EU summit, which is expected to be held in Beijing later this year.

He also proposed to speed up the feasibility study on signing a China-EU partnership agreement and forging a strategic dialogue mechanism.

"Such an agreement and strategic dialogue mechanism will solidify the Sino-EU comprehensive strategic partnership and lead to substantial projects and results," said Shen Jiru, a researcher with the China Academy of Social Science.

China and the EU have become important trade and economic cooperation partners and the two sides' cooperation in science and technology, finance, nuclear energy and space study has kept developing. Also, personnel exchange and education cooperation is active.

"China is satisfied with the sound development of Sino-EU relations," Wen said. "A closer Sino-EU relationship is in the fundamental interests of our two sides and will benefit Asian-European cooperation and world peace, stability and development."

Barroso, who is here for a five-day official visit to China, said that the EU attaches importance to EU-China relations and that China's development has offered great opportunities for the two sides to expand cooperation.

The EU will treat relations with China from a strategic point of view and push forward cooperation in energy, climate change, science and technology, aviation and space study, he said.

Wen appreciated EU's adherence to the one-China policy and hopes EU to continue its commitment and oppose the so-called "Taiwan Independence". Barroso reiterated that EU will stick to the one-China policy.

Besides Beijing, Barroso will visit Shanghai, Macao and Hong Kong in his first China tour as the EU commission head.

Source: Xinhua