Exclusive with 1st EC President & Fmr. Belgian PM Herman Van Rompuy

Editor's Note: China and the European Union (EU) are each other's second-largest trading partners and the China-Europe Railway Express, with over 100,000 trips since its inception, has become a golden corridor for trade between Asia and Europe. China and the EU celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations in 2025, how can both sides strengthen political trust, overcome external challenges and deepen economic ties going forward? In this edition of Leaders Talk, CMG's He Yanke sat down in Chengdu, capital city of China's southwest province of Sichuan, with Herman Van Rompuy, who served as prime minister of Belgium from 2008 to 2009 and as the first permanent president of the European Council from 2009 to 2014. A self-professed "devoted admirer of Chinese philosophy," Van Rompuy calls for multilateralism, tolerance and respect. On Chinese president Xi Jinping's three global initiatives, Van Rompuy observes that they "provide direction for our efforts toward achieving critical goals."