Spokesperson's Remarks｜Chinese side and European Parliament agree to lift re...

As agreed between the two sides, the Chinese side and the European Parliament decided to fully lift reciprocal exchange restrictions simultaneously, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular press conference on Tuesday.

Lin noted that for publicly known reasons, the exchange between Chinese and EU legislatures has encountered some setbacks over the past few years. Under the current situation, the two sides recognized the importance of enhancing dialogue and cooperation.

Lin Jian, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson/MFA PRC

"We believe and hope that as China and the EU fully resume exchanges between the legislatures, there will be deeper exchanges and understanding, and this will provide new driving force for the sustained, sound and steady growth of China-EU relations," Lin said.

In response to another question about Tuesday being the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the EU, Lin said that in May 1975, then Premier Zhou Enlai met with the then visiting Vice President of the European Economic Community (EEC) Commission Sir. Christopher Soames and they announced the decision to establish diplomatic relations between China and the EEC, which was a major event in international relations at that time. Over the past 50 years, China and the EU have formed strong economic interdependence. Bilateral trade has surged from US$2.4 billion to US$785.8 billion annually, increasing by more than 300 times. And the trade volume for a single day now is equivalent to that of a whole year in the past. The two sides have conducted productive multilateral coordination and cooperation in the response to climate change and other fields. This cooperation has not only delivered tangible benefits to the nearly two billion people of both sides but also made important contributions to world stability and prosperity. The most valuable experience of the 50-year history of China-EU relations is mutual respect and seeking common ground while shelving differences. China and the EU have different histories, cultures and systems, but as long as both sides respect each other's development path and social system chosen by their people, seek common ground, and set aside and overcome differences whenever possible, China and the EU can always achieve common progress, win-win results and mutual success through mutual learning and open cooperation.

"The world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century and the international landscape is evolving at a faster pace. Unilateralism, protectionism and power politics and hegemonism have dealt a heavy blow to the international rules and order, and humanity is once again at a crucial crossroads. Despite a changing world, the basic fact remains unchanged that for China and the EU, cooperation, consensus and opportunities far outweigh competition, differences and risks. Also, both sides' pursuit of supporting multilateralism and openness and cooperation remains unchanged. China and the EU together account for over one third of the world economy and over a quarter of global trade. As long as China and the EU choose for dialogue and cooperation, there will be no room for camp confrontation; as long as China and the EU choose for openness and win-win results, there will be no fundamental reversal in the trend of economic globalization. China and the EU, when joining hands, will achieve mutual success and light up the world," Lin said.

As Lin introduced, there are many important things on the agenda between China and the EU this year. China welcomes European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's trip to China at appropriate time for a new round of China-EU Summit. Both sides will also hold strategic, economic and trade, environment and climate, and digital high-level dialogues. Starting from May 7, both sides will hold four high-level receptions in celebration of diplomatic ties and a series of events in such areas as economy and trade, culture, youth, sports and academy.

In terms of China's expectation for the bilateral relations going forward, Lin said that at a crucial time of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties when the relationship goes into the next chapter, China hopes that the EU will work with China to stay true to the aspiration of establishing diplomatic relations, remain each other's partners, step up dialogue and cooperation, properly handle divergences and differences, build on past achievements and forge ahead in bilateral relations, and write more wonderful and successful stories of cooperation between China and the EU. (By Ma Ziqian/China Youth Daily)

来源：中国青年报客户端