Raise China-Europe Relations to New Heights

By LIU YUNSHAN

“Promoting Win-win Cooperation for New Breakthroughs in China-Europe Relations” was the theme of the fourth ChinaEurope High-level Political Parties Forum， held in Suzhou from April 22 to 23. Participants included leaders representing 44 political parties from 27 European countries， a regional European political party， a political party group in the European Parliament and three European think tanks， as well as representatives from different fields.

Liu Yunshan， a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China （CPC） Central Committee and also of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee， delivered a speech at the opening ceremony entitled “Creating a Better Future for China and Europe through Joint Efforts and Winwin Cooperation.”

Below are the main points of Lius keynote speech.

GROWING multi-polarity and economic globalization and a developing information society make countries in the“global village” ever more interconnected and interdependent. The destinies of China and Europe have never been as intertwined as they are today. The EU is Chinas largest trade partner and technology supplier； China is the EUs largest source of imports and second largest export market. Over the past decade， bilateral trade has expanded from US $80 billion to in excess of US $546 billion. There are 70 or more flights daily to and from China and Europe and a total five million visits between them every year. Sharing common interests and similar stances on advocating multilateralism， strengthening global governance， promoting world economic recovery and coping with global challenges， China and Europe have cooperated extensively on international and regional hotspot issues. These facts signify that China-Europe relations are expanding and deepening. But to achieve new heights， we must make joint efforts in specific areas：

First， to ensure the advance of the China-Europe comprehensive strategic partnership we must uphold the essential principle of win-win cooperation. Neither rivalry nor a zero-sum game characterizes relations among countries in an interdependent world. As president of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy said， “Interdependence is the key word these days and these years. Our success is your success and vice versa.” China supports the European integration process and also Europes efforts to cope with the sovereign debt crisis； it considers a united， prosperous and strong Europe as of benefit to both China and the world. Europe， in turn， is supportive of Chinas reform and opening-up and regards Chinas development as an opportunity. We should transcend differences in social systems， abandon the zero-sum ideology and practice the concepts of mutual support and winwin cooperation. We should moreover compete in an inclusive manner while sharing benefits and responsibilities.

Second， we should expand cooperation to lay a solid economic foundation for the China-Europe comprehensive strategic partnership. As China builds a moderately prosperous society and Europe implements the EU 2020 Strategy we will discover common interests that bring new opportunities for broader cooperation. Chinas changing economic development pattern， along with its growing consumer demand， and its imports to and investments in Europe， will generate new business opportunities for European industries that drive economic growth and job creation on the continent. The EUs advanced development concepts， managerial expertise and technology will， in turn， give fresh impetus to Chinas development. We should hence innovate modes of cooperation， broaden fields of cooperation， and promote balanced and sustainable development of bilateral trade. We should also strengthen cooperation in innovation and scientific research， deepen joint action in energy and environmental protection and advance partnerships in urbanization. Urbanization， the green economy and technological innovation should thus be the new focal points of China-Europe cooperation.

Third， we should expand cultural and people-topeople exchanges to create a spiritual bond within the China-Europe comprehensive strategic partnership. Economic and trade interests constitute the material groundwork for strengthened China-Europe relations， and mutual understanding and trust between our peoples engenders emotional support. We should promote exchanges among all sectors of Chinese and European societies while working together in the cultural field， and develop nongovernmental ties to shape favorable public opinion on friendly relations between China and Europe， so building a bridge through cultural exchanges towards mutual understanding and friendship.

Fourth， we should properly manage and control disputes and frictions in a manner that serves the interests of the China-Europe comprehensive strategic partnership. In light of our different historical and cultural backgrounds， social systems and stages of development， that China and Europe do not see eye-to-eye on certain issues is only to be expected. Competition and friction are unavoidable as our economic and trade ties tighten. We should hence persevere towards mutual respect and understanding， maintain a tolerant attitude and be more empathetic in our dealings with one another. Safeguarding ones own interests should also entail considering ones partners interests. We should therefore resolve disputes through dialogue and negotiations， in the interests of ensuring win-win outcomes amid bilateral cooperation.

Fifth， and finally， we should jointly confront global challenges and strive towards a harmonious world of enduring peace and common prosperity. As important world powers， China and Europe assume major responsibilities in safeguarding world peace and development. No country can cope with global challenges， such as the financial crisis， resource shortages， climate change， nuclear security and terrorism， alone. Therefore China and Europe must work together. We should participate in global governance， promote liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment， oppose all forms of protectionism， and continue to communicate with and support one another on global and regional hotspot issues. We believe that， with joint efforts， China and Europe will manage and maintain our deepening comprehensive strategic partnership and make due contributions to world peace and development.