Li's visit raises hopes of stronger Sino-EU ties

Premier Li Keqiang began his four-day visit to Germany and Belgium on Wednesday, during which he is scheduled to attend the annual meeting with German chancellor and the 19th China-EU leaders' meeting.

Whether Beijing and Brussels can shelve their differences and what the latter can do with its "normative power" to strengthen Sino-EU ties will be closely watched during Li's visit.

How the EU member states can get better involved in the Belt and Road Initiative (the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road), too, is high on the agenda of the China-EU meeting.