Top Chinese advisor Jia Qinglin met with a delegation from the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) on Friday in Beijing.

Jia told Anne-Marie Sigmund, EESC president and delegation head, that Sino-EU cooperation in the fields of trade and economy, science, education, energy, tourism and environmental protection had been fruitful since the parties decided to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2003.

"China attaches importance to relations with the European Union....We will make joint efforts with the EU side to push the Sino-EU comprehensive strategic partnership to a new high," said Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Sigmund explained the role played by EESC in promoting EU-China relations, saying that the EESC will further increase cooperation with China to stimulate the development of EU-China relations.

Source: Xinhua