Partners working together

The 17th China-EU leaders' meeting in Brussels, which coincides with the 40th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations, is expected to inject a new vitality into the strategic partnership.

After four decades of development, China and the European Union have established multi-layer dialogues and consultations covering more than 70 fields, and realized a bilateral trade value of $615.1 billion, up from less than $3 billion 40 years ago. The increasingly interdependent China and EU now enjoy opportunities for further development of their relations.

During a visit to the EU headquarters in 2014, President Xi Jinping proposed joint efforts to forge partnerships between China and the EU that promote "peace, growth, reform and civilization", drawing up a blueprint for ties in the future.