China, EU agree to open new chapter in ties

Premier Li held a meeting with President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker in Belgium. The Premier said that China is willing to interface with the European Fund For Strategic Investment, a 315 billion euro investment plan initiated by Juncker which aims to resuscitate Europe’s economy - especially by building important infrastructure. [Graphics by China Daily]

BRUSSELS - China and the European Union (EU) on Monday agreed to open a new chapter in bilateral relations after clinching a wide range of deals on climate change, infrastructure investment and people-to-people exchanges.

Visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang co-chaired the 17th China-EU leaders' meeting in Brussels with President of the European Council Donald Tusk and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, before the two sides issued a joint statement and a statement on climate change.

The two sides also signed several cooperation documents on science and technology, intellectual property, regional policies, and customs.

Since the establishment of the relationship four decades ago, Li said, China and the EU have sustainedly developed their ties, and deepened cooperation at bilateral, regional and international levels.

Li advocated that the two sides join hands to make new breakthroughs and strive for the new chapter of the bilateral relationship.

Li said the two sides should treat each other with strategic visions and from global perspectives, uphold the principles of peaceful development, openness and inclusiveness, win-win cooperation, expand common grounds of mutual interests, and push the bilateral relationship toward new heights.

China and the EU decided to integrate China's "Belt and Road" initiatives with the Investment Plan for Europe and establish a China-EU joint investment fund, he said.

The "Belt and Road" initiatives were proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013 with the aim to revive the ancient trade route between Asia and Europe. The Investment Plan for Europe is a 315-billion-euro (352-billion-US-dollar) plan initiated by Juncker to resuscitate European economy.