by Lu Xiao

BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) --- This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union (EU). Over the past half-century, China-EU ties have offered valuable lessons in how the shared interests of two major economies can be advanced for the next 50 years and beyond.

The most valuable experience of the 50-year history of China-EU relations is mutual respect and seeking common ground while shelving differences. The development of bilateral relations and remarkable achievements in various sectors over the past half century are, without exception, made by both sides on the basis of respecting each other's development path and social system and overcoming differences in history and culture.

It is expected that China and the EU will have differences. The key lies in seeking common ground while shelving and narrowing differences, and properly handling frictions and differences with an open and inclusive mindset and a vision of mutual learning among civilizations to maintain the healthy development of bilateral relations.

Economic and trade cooperation, marked by mutual benefits, serves as the ballast stone for China-EU relations. The trade volume of goods between China and Europe has increased from 2.4 billion U.S. dollars in 1975 to 785.8 billion dollars in 2024, a more than 300 times increase. China and the EU economies are highly complementary, and have broad space for cooperation.

Partnership is the most accurate positioning between China and the EU. There is no clash of fundamental interests or geopolitical conflicts between the two sides. Cooperation far outweighs competition, consensus far outweighs differences, and opportunities far outweigh risks. China and the EU should rely on multi-level dialogue mechanisms and multi-field communication channels to enhance political mutual trust and expand cooperation space.

As two major forces that promote global multipolarity, two major markets that support economic globalization, and two major civilizations that advocate diversity, the strategic significance of China-EU relations goes beyond the bilateral scope and is directly related to the world situation and the trend of global order. Multilateralism is the strategic consensus of China and the EU, and both sides are promoters of global multipolarization and defenders of the multilateral trading system.

China-EU cooperation is extensive and in-depth, which is not only highly complementary, but also shapes the depth, breadth and resilience of China-EU relations to a great extent. The two sides should jointly maintain the stability of industrial and supply chains, advocate fair and orderly competition, avoid conflicts and confrontations caused by differences in systems, values and ideologies, and work together to deal with global challenges. Both should properly handle differences and optimize exchanges. In doing so, they advance the healthy and stable development of China-EU relations.

Amid the current turbulent international situation, China-EU cooperation should play the role of an anchor of global political stability and provide stability and certainty for the international order and global governance. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, the two sides should take this opportunity to deepen multi-level cooperation, strengthen strategic communication, jointly promote an equal and orderly multi-polar world and economic globalization that benefits all, and make greater contributions to world peace, stability, development and prosperity. Enditem

(Editor's note: Lu Xiao is an assistant professor at the School of International Studies, Peking University.)