China, EU political parties seek cooperation

BEIJING – The third China-Europe High-Level Political Parties Forum will focus on new ideas and approaches in trade, finance and international affairs cooperation between China and Europe, a senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official said.

Wang Hua, director of the Western European Affairs Bureau of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks before the forum scheduled in Brussels from May 29 to 31.

The international situation is undergoing profound and complex changes, the road ahead for global economic recovery is still bumpy, global challenges are accumulating, and both China and Europe are facing daunting tasks in development and economic transformation, Wang said.

The theme of this forum is set to be "China- Europe Cooperation against Challenges." Leaders from CPC and the European People's Party (EPP), Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats (S&D), European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) in the European Parliament, European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR) and European Green Party (EGP) will exchange ideas on a broad range of issues, including experience-sharing in social governance.

It is natural to have differences, frictions or even conflicts between China and Europe due to marked disparities in cultural traditions, ideologies, religious beliefs and developmental level, but the core is to adopt a responsible attitude for a comprehensive strategic partnership, take long-term and strategic perspectives, and promote mutual understanding through dialogues, Wang said.

Both sides are satisfied with the results of the dialogue platform, and CPC is willing to further explore and enrich both channels and topics with European political parties to play a more important role in China-Europe relations.

"We will work together to gradually develop the forum into a bridge of strengthening China-Europe strategic communication, increasing political mutual trust and cementing substantial cooperation," Wang added.

China-Europe Political Parties Forum is the first high-level and multi-lateral political dialogue between the CPC and political parties in the European Parliament and Europe's regional political parties. The CPC sees external relations as an integral part of the general diplomatic layout of the country. The first forum was held in Beijing, May 24-25, 2010, followed by two sessions of the second forum in 2011.