Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Monday described his meeting with the EU leaders as "constructive and fruitful," saying that both sides should push forward the strategic partnership based on common interests.

China and Europe have "a vast potential to tap" in bilateral relationship, Yang told reporters after meeting the EU Troika, which includes German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, the EU foreign policy and security chief Javier Solana, and European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

Yang said Europe and China have a lot of common interests and share similar views on many international and regional issues. "We are both working for world and regional stability and development. "

Addressing Europe's trade deficit with China, Yang said "China is not deliberately seeking a trade surplus with Europe."

"We'll try to import as much as possible from Europe, and we also hope that Europe will further relax the trade restrictions on high-tech transfer to china," he said.

Both sides should always seek to expand the cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit and, meanwhile, solve disputes through mechanism of dialogue.

The Chinese foreign minister also highlighted the importance of more exchanges between young people of the two sides and said China will arrange many more visits and academic exchanges to make sure that China-Europe friendship will take deep root among the young people.

Steinmeier said the two sides will hold more talks on the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement designed to further strengthen the bilateral ties.

He also said the two sides will hold more talks on cooperation on the fight against climate change and on the issue of energy security. Meanwhile, Solana said China is an important strategic partner that the west cannot afford to lose.

The chief European diplomat said he was very happy to have had "an exchange of views" with Yang over a number of issues, including the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsular and Iran, as well as the recent violence surge in the Middle East.

Steinmeier said more pressure is needed to make Iran to observe the international rules.

However, he noted that diplomatic negotiation, instead of the military means, is the only way to solve the nuclear issue with Iran.

Yang and the EU Troika met ahead of a meeting by foreign ministers from Asian, European countries to be held late Monday in Hamburg which will focus on the issues including climate change, energy, international trade as well as security in the Middle East.

Delegations from 46 countries met late Monday within the framework of the Asia-Europe forum (ASEM) to discuss global issues ahead of the G8 summit to be held early June in the German Baltic resort of Heiligendamm.

Source: Xinhua