(China Daily)
Updated: 2007-11-28 07:10

Ten years is a short period of time in the long process of human history. So China and the European Union, whose leaders are gathering together in Beijing today for their 10th summit, are still in the early days of dialogue and cooperation.

The leaders of the two sides are supposed to set down a cooperative agreement for China-EU partnership.

Among the EU leaders are Jose Socrates, Prime Minister of Portugal, which holds rotating EU presidency, and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

Both China and EU have been undergoing great changes with each passing year. The annual summit between the two sides has turned out to be a venue for reviewing the important developments in bilateral relations in the past decade and charting a roadmap for more future cooperation.

They will also set their minds on international and regional matters of common concern such as the Middle East, Myanmar, the Iranian nuclear standoff, and the Korean Peninsular nuclear issue.

The fourth China-EU Business Summit, which is held on the sidelines of the leaders' gathering, offers a platform for about 500 Chinese and European entrepreneurs to exploit business opportunities and trade issues.

In the past few days before the summit, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has been highlighting EU's trade disputes with China. But he did talk about resolving them through dialogue. Trade protectionism does no good to the EU and its trade.

It is dialogue that has helped reduce disputes and enhanced cooperation. Frequent exchanges between China and the EU have made their comprehensive strategic partnership feasible. The strategic dialogue between the two sides, which convened for the third time in October, is a case in point for the deliberation of important international and regional issues.

This year's summit is expected to serve as a link between the past and present, ushering in the future. It is an opportunity for both to re-evaluate their roles in the world. It is time for the EU to grasp the importance of China's development and what it means.

China does not want to pursue economic progress at the expense of its trade partners. It is all in favor of a win-win situation.

(China Daily 11/28/2007 page10)