A week after the 16th China-EU leaders' meeting’s conclusion in Beijing, Markus Ederer, EU Ambassador to China talked about achievements and hopes in China-EU cooperation with the netizens in an interview with People’s Daily Online.

From Nov. 20 to Nov. 21, the 16th China-EU Summit was held in Beijing and both sides reached an agreement on 2020 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation. Ederer said that this was the very first meeting between the EU and China’s new leadership. Both sides exchanged ideas about their future cooperation. Ederer noticed that China’s new leaders have a new style. They made very frank, open and friendly talks.

China has become the second largest trade partner of the EU, while the EU is the largest business associate of China. In the past ten years, the bilateral trade volume increased four times. Both sides created new cooperation model, established strategic partnership of urbanization and dialogues in security and cultural exchange to promote understanding, said Ederer.

China-EU 2020 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation is the common direction of China and the EU’s development. The EU is willing to cooperate with China and help China develop a more prosperous society. China proposed financial reforms. Concurrently, the EU is making reforms in this aspect. Therefore there must be some experience they can share with each other, according to Ederer.

Chinese government vows to realize a more inclusive growth to narrow the income difference and urban-rural gap, and establish a social insurance and pension system that covers all. The EU has much experience in this aspect, which can help China realize social unity, stability and peace, said Ederer.

China also proposes new type of urbanization, and is making more efforts in environmental protection and offering clean air, food and water recourses. The EU has successful practice in ecological growth. The both sides have common point in building bilateral sustainable urbanization partnership, Ederer added.