China-EU 50 years: Advancing stability and prosperity through partnership

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By Deng Li

As China and France celebrate the beginning of a new 60-year cycle in their bilateral relationship, China and the EU also mark a major milestone: Fifty years of the establishment of diplomatic ties. Over the past five decades, China and Europe have not only helped promote each other's development but also contributed to global progress. France, in particular, has played a vital and distinctive role in this journey.

At this pivotal moment of bridging past achievements and future ambitions, it is worth reflecting on the extraordinary course of China-EU relations and reaffirming the strategic direction for their continued growth.

The development of China-EU relations over the past 50 years reflects a broader global process, where two major forces in the world, each guided by its own strategic goals and interests, have nonetheless chosen to define their ties through partnership and jointly promoted the development of a multipolar world.

It is a journey that has seen China and the EU, two of the world's largest economies in pursuit of their respective development paths, steadily expand their areas of common interests while championing economic globalization. It is also a process where two great civilizations, based on respect for differences, have gradually built deeper mutual trust and jointly safeguarded and promoted cultural diversity.

Mutual respect has always been the political cornerstone of China-EU relations. Looking back to the Cold War era, when the world was shrouded in ideological divisions, China and Europe – then "strangers" with vastly different histories, cultures, development paths and social systems – managed to forge a connection across the Eurasian continent through shared political wisdom that emphasized seeking common ground while acknowledging differences.

China and the EU have taken three major steps forward: formally establishing diplomatic ties in 1975, establishing a comprehensive partnership in 2001 and then upgrading it to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2003. In 2014, Chinese President Xi Jinping made a historic visit to the EU headquarters, where he proposed building four major partnerships for peace, growth, reform and civilization.

In May last year, Xi visited France, Serbia and Hungary, outlining a new blueprint for future China-EU relations and providing strategic guidance for their development. To date, the China-EU Summit has been held 24 times. The two sides have established high-level dialogue mechanisms across a broad range of areas, including strategy, trade and economy, digital governance, environmental protection and cultural exchange. Both sides have held nearly 40 rounds of human rights dialogue and established over 1,100 sister-city or sister-province relationships, steadily deepening mutual understanding and strengthening people-to-people ties.

China remains firmly committed to advancing Chinese modernization, while the EU continues to pursue European integration as its long-term goal. As each side forges ahead on its own development path, China-EU pragmatic cooperation has continued to deepen, giving rise to a robust, mutually beneficial economic relationship.

Over the past 50 years, the bilateral trade has gone from just $2.4 billion to $780 billion, with China and the EU having long been each other's second-largest trading partner. Two-way investment has grown from virtually nothing to nearly $260 billion. In the first quarter of this year alone, China-EU trade reached 1.3 trillion Chinese yuan ($180 billion), equivalent to over 10 million yuan in trade every minute.

China-Europe Railway Express, also known as "steel camel caravans," has run more than 100,000 trips over the past decade. French oysters can now reach Chinese consumers within 36 hours. One out of every three Volkswagen cars is sold to the Chinese market. The Airbus final assembly line in Tianjin has delivered more than 700 A320 aircraft. Belgian company Janssen Pharmaceuticals' anti-cancer drugs have been included in China's national medical insurance program. China's Chang'e-6 lunar probe carries science payloads from Europe to explore the far side of the moon. Mutual recognition of geographical indications has brought West Lake Longjing tea and Bordeaux wine together in a symbolic "dialogue" of tea and wine.

These vibrant figures not only highlight the milestones of China-EU cooperation but also reflect the tangible benefits such collaboration brings to people's everyday lives.

Under the star-studded sky of human civilization, the Chinese ideal of "harmony without uniformity" and the European tradition of "unity in plurality" shine in mutual brilliance. The China-France Year of Culture and Tourism pioneered national-level cultural exchanges between China and other countries. China has since established cultural centers in Paris and the capitals of more than 10 other European countries.

During his visit to France last May, President Xi proposed a major initiative to increase the number of French students studying in China to over 10,000 and double the scale of European youth exchanges within the next three years. In support of this vision, China has introduced a 30-day visa-free entry policy for citizens of 24 EU countries, along with various other measures to facilitate travel, in order to open new windows for Europeans to understand China better.

From co-productions in film to joint archaeological excavations, from mutual translation of classical texts to exhibitions of cultural relics, China and the EU have been embracing openness and inclusiveness. Together, they are bridging East and West and dismantling simplistic binary narratives that divide the world into either-or, black-and-white terms. In doing so, China and the EU are making a meaningful contribution to global cultural diversity and the advancement of human civilization.

A European tourist takes photos while visiting Tiantan (Temple of Heaven) Park in Beijing, capital of China, March 20, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

China and the EU together account for over one-third of the global economy, making every move they take globally significant. As the international order and major power relations undergo profound and complex transformations, a key question arises: Where is the China-EU relationship headed, and how can it stay on course without veering off track or losing momentum? This matter calls for deep reflection from thoughtful minds on both sides.

We hope that China and the EU will anchor stability in an increasingly turbulent world. Their emergence as major poles in global affairs has been rooted in a commitment to independence and autonomy – qualities that will be even more essential as they navigate the uncertainties of a shifting international landscape.

Earlier this year, in a phone call with European Council President Antonio Costa, President Xi said, "The more severe and complex the international situation becomes, the more China and the EU should adhere to the original aspirations of establishing diplomatic ties, strengthen strategic communication, enhance strategic mutual trust and uphold the positioning of partnership." The China-EU relationship is driven by strong internal momentum and holds promising prospects for development. It is neither directed against any third party nor dependent on or constrained by one.

China has openly expressed its support for European integration and for Europe's pursuit of strategic autonomy. China has always viewed its relations with the EU from a strategic and long-term perspective, ensuring stability and consistency in its Europe policy. We hope the EU can develop a more objective understanding of China, adopt a constructive and pragmatic approach in its China policy and resist interference from third parties and ideological biases. The aim is for both sides to remain reliable partners based on mutual trust.

China and the EU should serve as anchors of certainty in an increasingly uncertain world. In recent years, the two sides have worked together to advance the implementation of the Paris Agreement and have led international cooperation in key areas such as climate change, biodiversity, public health, artificial intelligence, energy, food security and debt relief for developing countries. They have also actively supported the political resolution of global hotspot issues.

At present, the U.S. is pursuing "reciprocal tariffs" that indiscriminately target countries worldwide, trampling on international norms for its own self-interest and dragging the global order back toward the law of the jungle, where might makes right. This approach has seriously undermined the interests of all parties, including both China and the EU. French economist Frederic Bastiat once said that "exchange, like property, is a natural right," and denying someone the freedom to trade legitimizes plunder and violates the principle of justice.

As responsible members of the international community, China and the EU should take the lead in upholding the global system with the UN at its core and the multilateral trading system centered on the World Trade Organization. Together, both sides should oppose the politicization, ideological manipulation, and over-securitization of trade and economic issues.

China and the EU should be partners in championing openness and cooperation. Both sides must recognize their fundamentally complementary and mutually beneficial nature of their economic and trade relationship. By leveraging their respective strengths, such as economic scale, industrial systems, resource endowments and innovation capabilities, China and the EU can unlock new potential for collaboration at a higher level and work toward more balanced yet still growing trade and investment.

Recently, China and EU have agreed to resume negotiations on a price commitment regarding the anti-subsidy investigation into electric vehicles as soon as possible. We believe that on the basis of equality and mutual respect, China and the EU have both the capability and the wisdom to resolve issues through dialogue and consultation.

China is advancing high-quality development and high-standard opening-up. It is willing to promote synergies between the Belt and Road Initiative and the EU's Global Gateway strategy, so both sides and the world can benefit from enhanced cooperation.

China's new visa-free entry policy for EU countries, along with streamlined entry arrangements for foreign nationals, also presents opportunities to encourage more people-to-people, local-level and youth exchanges. Deepening cooperation in education and scientific research can further enrich China-EU friendship, allowing both sides to lay more solid and meaningful bricks in the foundation of their shared future.

Looking ahead to the next 50 years, we hope that China and the EU will continue to uphold their partnership, steadily expand cooperation in all areas and bring greater benefits to their peoples. Together, China and the EU can help steer the world toward greater stability, security, prosperity and progress.

We also hope that France will continue to play a leading role within the EU by building bridges and paving the way through pragmatic actions, so that China-France cooperation can provide fresh momentum to the development of China-EU relations.

Deng Li is China's ambassador to France.