EU, China must turn words into deeds

The partnership between China and the European Union has just reached 40 years. Our relations have advanced considerably since their tame beginnings into a dialogue that is one of the most frequent, extensive and diverse of the EU's 10 strategic partnerships.

The latest concrete examples of our fruitful cooperation are the conclusion of the EU-China 2020 Agenda and the launch of investment talks in 2013. These are ambitious projects, a sign of the belief and faith both sides have in furthering cooperation.

We believe in the cooperation's value because it is an essential component in finding answers to global concerns, such as global and regional security, the economic crisis, global financial and market regulation, energy security, weapons of mass destruction, climate change, and the fight against organized crime, terrorism and piracy. For this reason it is obvious this relationship must be nurtured and used wisely.