Passengers in a common boat

Countries must interact harmoniously and cooperate to deal with the problems and challenges of the 21st century

Dear members of the press, I wish to thank Lady Ashton for inviting me and my colleagues to Budapest for the second round of the China-EU High-Level Strategic Dialogue. Around 20 years ago, I worked in Budapest and spent a most memorable time in Hungary, a fascinating and beautiful country, one endowed with human talent and rich resources. I am very excited to be back.

Last year, Lady Ashton and I had our first Strategic Dialogue in my hometown Guiyang in Guizhou province. Besides a full day of productive discussions, Lady Ashton also visited a village near Guiyang, which is far less developed than Europe of course. Through our first dialogue, we deepened mutual understanding and trust and promoted cooperation between China and Europe.