Chinese President Xi Jinping met with President of the European Council Antonio Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, who are in China for the 25th China-EU Summit, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday. Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic ties, and the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, Xi said China-EU relations have come to another critical juncture in history. He emphasized that, faced with accelerating global transformation not seen in a century and a changing and turbulent world, Chinese and EU leaders should once again demonstrate vision and leadership, and make the right strategic choices that will meet people's expectations and stand the scrutiny of history. China and the EU should keep their bilateral relationship growing in the right direction, and work together to usher it into an even brighter next 50 years, he said.

After the 25th China-EU Summit concluded that day, leaders of China and the EU issued a joint statement on climate change. Against the backdrop of global climate threats and some developed nations withdrawing from relevant international institutions to shirk responsibility, this joint statement has bolstered confidence in global climate governance and showcased the leading role of the two major economies in fulfilling international responsibilities. It has received widespread support from global public opinion, including many Western media outlets.

Looking back over half a century, China-EU relations have evolved from tentative initial contacts into one of the world's most influential bilateral partnerships - an exemplary model of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation across different systems and civilizations. 

Annual trade rose from just $2.4 billion in 1975, the year diplomatic ties were established, to $785.8 billion in 2024 - over a 300-fold increase. Meanwhile, the China-Europe freight train network has expanded from the first departure at Tuanjie Village Station in Chongqing to, as of June 10, operations reaching 229 cities in 26 European countries.

Over the past year, despite headwinds from trade protectionism, cooperation between China and Europe has continued to deepen: Volkswagen and BMW chose to increase their investments in China; CATL and BYD established new factories in Europe; Siemens began construction of a medical hub in Shenzhen; and Tencent acquired a Polish gaming company. All these developments underscore the strong demand for cooperation and the vast space for mutual benefit between China and the EU.

As the international landscape undergoes profound changes, China-EU relations now stand at a new crossroads. During the meeting, President Xi put forward three propositions for the future development of China-EU relations: Both sides should uphold mutual respect and consolidate the positioning of China-EU relations as partnership; both sides should uphold openness and cooperation, and properly manage differences and frictions; both sides should practice multilateralism and uphold the international rules and order. These propositions draw from historical experience and respond directly to current challenges, providing a clear direction for the healthy and stable development of China-EU relations in the future. 

The EU side said that Xi's three propositions on EU-China relations are of vital importance. The EU does not seek "decoupling and severing supply chains" from China and welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest and operate in Europe, and hopes to work with China to uphold multilateralism, safeguard the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and facilitate resolutions to regional hotspot issues, which reflects a strategic will to preserve cooperation amid global uncertainty.

As President Xi noted, both China and the EU are "big guys" in the international community. "A sound and stable China-EU relationship not only works to the advantage of both sides but also brings benefits to the whole world." As the world's second and third largest economies, China and the EU together account for about one-third of global GDP and roughly 30 percent of global trade. Whether China-EU relations can develop in a stable way not only affects the interests of both parties, but also bears on the prospects of economic globalization and the evolving multipolar world order.

The China-EU Summit reflects both sides' desire to improve bilateral ties and also carries the world's expectations for a model based on respecting each other, seeking commonality while reserving differences, upholding openness and cooperation, and pursuing mutual benefit. It sends a strong message of confidence in enhancing international cooperation amid a complex global environment.

The summit has attracted significant attention from the global media since a few days ago, highlighting the far-reaching impact of China-EU relations. It should be noted that many Western media outlets are focusing more on trade frictions and other disagreements between China and Europe, even viewing the China-EU Summit as a "thermometer" for testing the relationship between allies on both sides of the Atlantic, which is completely misleading. They underestimate the rationality and resilience of the close ties that have formed over the 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU. The China-EU relationship is not aimed at, dependent on, or constrained by any third party. As an important pole in the world, the EU has the right to choose its trade partners independently and to maintain its diplomatic policy autonomy. A significant portion of the resistance encountered in the current development of China-EU relations stems from the external pressure to "take sides" and the hijacking of Cold War thinking, which is regrettable.

Amid the escalating geopolitical tensions and the rise of economic nationalism and unilateralism, what the world needs the most is cooperation. The summit held in Beijing on Thursday has once again demonstrated the clear common ground between China and the EU. We look forward to working with the EU side to expand the "cake" of common interests, countering the noise of "politicization" and "de-risking" with more pragmatic outcomes, and writing an even more splendid chapter in China-EU relations over the next 50 years. (Source： Global Times)