Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi held talks with senior European Union officials here on Monday and both sides agreed to make efforts to strengthen bilateral relations.

Yang said at the meeting that strengthening China-Europe relations is in the fundamental and long-term interests of both sides. China is ready to make joint efforts with the EU to push forward their bilateral relations based on the agreements reached by the Chinese and EU leaders at their 9th summit in Helsinki last year.

He expressed the hope that both sides would see the China-Europe relations from the strategic point of view, with better overall planning and more efforts to strengthen political mutual trust.

The Chinese foreign minister also said that both sides should broaden their cooperation of mutual benefits, maintain the positive momentum of their economic relations and make sure that bilateral trade will grow in a sustained and balanced way.

China and the EU should also promote political dialogue and consultations at various levels and strengthen coordination and cooperation on important global and regional issues, Yang said.

The EU officials including 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, met Yang ahead of a meeting by foreign ministers from Asian and European countries on Monday.

The EU leaders described China as an important partner of the EU, saying the EU is ready to advance the negotiations on the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with China, strengthen coordination with China on important issues and promote the bilateral economic and trade relations.

The EU leaders stressed that the EU attaches great importance to the further development of its relations with China.

Yang also expressed his appreciation of the long-standing EU policy in adhering to the one-China principle and thanked the EU for its support at the World Health Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health on issues concerning Taiwan.

The EU officials meanwhile reaffirmed that Europe will continue to abide by the one-China policy.

The two sides also discussed international issues including the nuclear issues on the Korean Peninsular and Iran, the recent violence surge in the Middle East, as well as the climate change.

Source: Xinhua