China and EU: 50 years on, economic, trade cooperation yields fruitful results

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU. Fifty years ago, on May 6, 1975, China and the European Economic Community, the precursor to today's European Union (EU), established diplomatic relations, marking a pivotal moment in modern international diplomacy.

Over the decades, China-EU ties have become a key pillar of the global landscape, shaping developments in politics, security, trade, investment, technology and environmental cooperation.

The China-EU partnership is particularly evident in economic and trade relations. The official data shows that bilateral trade grew from $2.4 billion to $780 billion and investment has increased from almost zero to nearly $260 billion over the past five decades.

Across numerous sectors, especially automotive and luxury industries, Europe contributes design expertise, regulatory rigor and innovation, while China brings high-quality manufacturing, skilled labor and a vast and dynamic consumer base. Together, they have created jobs, revitalized industries and boosted global growth.

The China-EU freight train service has also become a vital artery for bilateral trade. A major milestone in this growing partnership was reached late last year, when the 100,000th China-Europe freight train arrived in Duisburg, Germany, underscoring the scale, resilience and growing relevance of this transcontinental link.

China also leads in global green technology, advanced manufacturing and digital infrastructure, areas that strongly resonate with the EU's goals of carbon neutrality and digital transformation.

With over 400 million middle-income earners, China is not only the world's factory, but also a fast-growing consumer market. According to the Rhodium Group, China's total consumption has kept pace with economies of similar size, and over the past two decades, its consumption growth has significantly outstripped countries with comparable GDP per capita levels.

Cooperation between China and the EU has yielded fruitful results, he said, with each providing significant support for the other's development and providing tangible benefits to nearly 2 billion Chinese and EU people, making important contributions to global peace and development, and setting an example of mutually beneficial cooperation in the era of economic globalization, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday.

Guo made the remarks at a daily news briefing when introducing the upcoming 25th China-EU Summit in Beijing.

China hopes that the EU will work with China, view its relations with China from a comprehensive, dialectical and forward-looking perspective, draw experience and inspiration from bilateral relations over the past 50 years, follow the trend of the times, meet the expectations of the two peoples and the international community, pool consensus, rise above differences, jointly plan for the cooperation in the next 50 years, and open up a brighter future for the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership, Guo said.

(With input from agencies)