China, EU mark 50 years with deeper trust, stronger ties

"China and Europe are two major forces advancing multipolarity, two big markets supporting globalization and two great civilizations advocating diversity," head of the Chinese Mission to the European Union, said during the China-EU Forum last November.

It was in this spirit that China and the European Economic Community, the predecessor of today's EU, formally established diplomatic relations on May 6, 1975, laying the groundwork for institutionalized engagement.

This opening came at the height of the Cold War, when both Brussels and Beijing sought to diversify their diplomatic channels. It triggered a rapid expansion of trade: bilateral trade has grown from $2.4 billion at the outset to approximately $786 billion today – a 300-fold increase driven by successive waves of strategic, economic and political cooperation.

Trade surges

China's reform and opening-up drive, launched in the late 1970s, spurred European enterprises to enter the Chinese market. Notably, Volkswagen's first joint venture, Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Co. Ltd., was set up in October 1984, becoming a catalyst for China's automotive modernization.

China's accession to the World Trade Organization in December 2001 triggered an even steeper rise in commerce. Between 2000 and 2009, EU exports to China climbed from 26 billion euros ($28 billion) to 82 billion euros, while imports rose from 75 billion euros to 215 billion euros. By 2016, annual bilateral trade in goods reached 514.8 billion euros, with industrial and manufactured products dominating flows on both sides.

Institutional frameworks also deepened in the early 2000s. In 2003, China and the EU elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Two years later, they issued a joint declaration on climate change, establishing the China-EU Partnership on Climate Change to coordinate policies, technology transfer and clean energy innovation.

China-EU cooperation not only benefits both sides, but also serves as a stabilizing force in global trade. Launched in 2011, the China-Europe Railway Express – a hallmark of the Belt and Road Initiative – has since become a vital artery in the global supply chain, playing an increasingly important role in promoting open cooperation, mutual benefit and economic integration among participating countries.

The railway network offers a more balanced mode of transportation, said Bernd Noche, a professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany, who's also the head of its Department of Transport Systems and Logistics.

"When we consider railway connections, this is now a unique mode of transport because it is faster than a ship, but at lower price than by plane. So, it's something in between," he said, adding that there are many goods suitable for rail transportation.

By November 2024, the China-Europe Railway Express had completed over 100,000 trips, linking more than 220 cities across Eurasia and transporting goods valued at over $420 billion.

Deepening trust

Beyond economic and trade cooperation, China and the EU share a strong commitment to deepening political trust and contributing to global peace and prosperity.

At the Munich Security Conference in February 2025, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reaffirmed that "there is no conflict of fundamental interests or geopolitical contradictions between China and the EU," and urged both sides to uphold their strategic partnership "based on mutual respect, mutual trust and long-term stability," while using the 50th anniversary as "a new starting point to plan the blueprint for future cooperation."

With no fundamental conflicts of interest or geopolitical rivalry, China and the EU support the central role of the United Nations, advocate resolving international issues through dialogue, and oppose unilateralism and bullying.

The most valuable experience in the development of China-EU relations is mutual respect and the pursuit of common ground while accommodating differences, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Tuesday at a press briefing.

Although the world is changing, the principle still holds that for China and the EU, cooperation outweighs competition, consensus surpasses differences and opportunities far exceed risks, he added.