Beijing-Brussels ties still vital for world

People have begun associating the European Union more with the migration crisis, terrorist attacks and the lackluster economic recovery than as an economic union. Now with the second-largest EU economy, the United Kingdom, voting to leave the union, two years of intricate and intense negotiations lie ahead, posing an existential challenge to the European integration project.

China, as a staunch supporter of a united, prosperous and strong EU, has been closely following the impact of Britain's exit (or Brexit) on Beijing-Brussels relations and the subsequent global strategic landscape.

China-EU relations have made steady progress toward a partnership for peace, growth and reform, which was agreed during President Xi Jinping's historic visit to Brussels in 2014. The joint China-EU 2020 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation is an apt example of this partnership. The two sides organize frequent mutual visits, which added up to more than 90 at or above the deputy prime minister level last year. China and the EU have also been each other's top trading and investment partners for years and have enjoyed dynamic growth in two-way flow of business travelers, tourists and students.