Visiting President of the Commission of the European Union (EU) Jose Manuel Barroso said in Beijing that the EU wants to view China "positively and in no way as a threat".
"For my part, I want to make things in a way that European citizens view China positively and in no way as a threat," Barroso said.
When giving a speech at the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Barroso said that "the reservoir of goodwill" allowed the EU to address the bilateral disputes with China in a spirit of responsibility and partnership.
Economic and trade relations between China and the EU have developed rapidly in recent years. China is now the EU's second largest trading partner, while the EU is China's largest trading partner.
However, disputes such as trade deficit, exchange rate and intellectual property right have challenged the booming ties as the two sides started to launch negotiations last January on a new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement to replace the outdated 1985Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement.
"Tomorrow we will open the 10th EU-China Summit and this will be an opportunity for us to assess what we have done together over the last 10 years and to launch a new stage in our strategic partnership", Barroso added.
The China-EU Leaders' Meeting was started in 1998 in London and convenes annually.
"On both sides, we approach the Summit with confidence because, whatever our divergences on certain issues, our partnership has proven its worth and our dialogue and cooperation have expanded," Barroso said.
Barroso said that the EU was determined to make progress together with China both in our bilateral relationship and also on global issues, namely energy, global warming, trade and development aid.
When discussing the Taiwan issue, Barroso reiterated the EU's one-China policy, stressing that the EU would adhere to the policy in every aspect of the bilateral relations.
"I am convinced that stability across the Taiwan Strait is integral to the stability and prosperity of East Asia and the wider international community," Barroso said.
Barroso arrived in Beijing Tuesday afternoon for the 10th summit between Chinese and EU leaders scheduled for Wednesday.
Source: Xinhua
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