Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

When asked to comment on the recently concluded 18th Europe-China Business & Technology Cooperation Fair (Europe-China Fair) in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan, and China's view on economic and trade cooperation with the EU, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Wednesday that China and Europe enjoy strong economic complementarity and deeply intertwined interests, and economic and trade cooperation serves as the ballast stone of the bilateral relationship.

Since its launch in 2002, the Europe-China Fair has been held for 18 consecutive sessions. It has attracted more than 12,000 Chinese and European companies and produced over 3,300 intended cooperation agreements. It is the largest investment, trade, and innovation cooperation platform between China and the EU, with the highest participation from EU member states and the broadest involvement of European companies, Mao noted.

Mao highlighted that over the 50 years since establishing diplomatic ties between China and the EU, two-way trade has grown from $2.4 billion to more than $780 billion, and mutual investment stock has exceeded $270 billion. Currently, citizens of all 25 EU member states enjoy China's visa-free policy. The China-Europe Railway Express has operated nearly 120,000 trains in total, reaching more than 200 cities in 26 European countries.

"Our complementary advantages have delivered genuine mutual benefits and tangible gains for the people on both sides," Mao said. 

"China is ready to continue strengthening economic and trade cooperation with the EU, promote the healthy and steady development of China-EU relations, and hope that the European side will firmly honor its commitment to openness and seize the important opportunities presented by China's development," said Mao.

Global Times