Opportunity for Beijing and Brussels to enhance mutual trust, consolidate partnership

The vision, courage and pragmatism that the older generation of the Chinese and European leaders demonstrated 50 years ago to establish diplomatic relations between China and the then European Economic Community, the predecessor of the European Union, should continue to serve to guide the healthy development of bilateral relations in the future.

As President Xi Jinping said in his congratulatory message, over the past 50 years, the two sides have maintained close exchanges at all levels and in all fields, achieved fruitful results in dialogue and cooperation, made fruitful cultural exchanges, and achieved fruitful multilateral coordination.

China-EU relations have thus developed to become among the most influential in the world, as the two sides have become comprehensive strategic partners, two major forces promoting multipolarization, two major markets supporting globalization, and two major civilizations advocating diversity. They have not only made important contributions to improving the well-being of both peoples, but also global development.

Xi stressed that the anniversary was an opportunity for the two sides to open up a brighter future for China-EU relations by deepening their strategic communication, enhancing mutual understanding and trust, consolidating their partnership, expanding mutual openness, and properly handling the frictions and differences that have emerged. The EU leaders, on their part, expressed their willingness to deepen the EU's partnership with China, and strengthen exchanges and cooperation to work together to meet common challenges.

Having established an all-round, multilevel and wide-ranging cooperation pattern and formed a strong symbiotic economic relationship featuring more than 70 dialogue mechanisms in the fields of strategy, economy and trade, digital, environment and climate and humanities, the two sides have a solid foundation for the development of their mutually beneficial relations.

That China and the European Parliament have decided to simultaneously and comprehensively lift restrictions on mutual exchanges, as confirmed by Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, on Tuesday, marks a good beginning for the two sides to refocus their attention on strengthening exchanges and partnership.

"As China and the EU fully resume exchanges between their legislative bodies, the exchanges and understanding between the two sides will become more in-depth, which will inject new impetus into the continued healthy and stable development of China-EU relations," Lin noted.

China-EU economic and trade cooperation is large in scale, and it is inevitable that there will be some differences and frictions.

But it should be a consensus of both Beijing and Brussels that Sino-EU cooperation far outweighs their competition, and their common interests far outweigh differences. They should strive to be partners of mutual achievement, instead of competitors or even rivals.

The anniversary offers a timely opportunity for the EU and China to reassess their partnership, introduce new initiatives and engage in policy discussions aimed at revitalizing and strengthening their relationship for long-term stability and mutual benefit. It is hoped that the EU will work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two sides to properly handle economic and trade frictions through dialogue and consultation, and turn differences and frictions into growth points for pragmatic cooperation and bilateral relations.

To chart a more stable and rejuvenating path forward, the EU needs to demonstrate strategic foresight and not let short-term political expediency result in decision-making that is subject to hijacking by the United States. Recalibrating its relationship with China may earn it the ire of Washington, but reestablishing a robust and pragmatic partnership with China would not only provide the EU with critical resources, investment opportunities, and manufacturing capabilities, but also help enhance its strategic independence. This would empower the bloc to assert itself as an autonomous center of influence rather than being a subordinate actor in a new Cold War scenario.

To that end and to forge a path toward a meaningful relationship that can also illuminate the world, both sides must engage in open and candid dialogue to overcome the trust deficit that has set back relations in recent times.

China and the EU should adhere to multilateralism, defend fairness and justice, oppose unilateral bullying, work together to meet global challenges, and jointly promote the world's multipolarization and inclusive economic globalization, so as to make greater contributions to world peace, stability, development and prosperity.

With the joint efforts of both sides and the strong support and promotion of friends from all walks of life, China-EU relations will surely usher in a better tomorrow and make the next 50 years worth looking forward to.