By CGTN’s Su Yuting

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang plans to travel to Germany on May 31 for an official state visit, and is expected to attend an annual China-Germany premiers' meeting. Vice Foreign Minister Wang Chao made the announcement at a press conference in Beijing on Saturday.

Premier Li will also pay an official visit to Belgium and attend the 19th China-EU Summit in Brussels, said Wang, adding that this will be Li’s eighth visit to Europe.

2017 marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China-Germany ties and 46 years of China-Belgium diplomatic relations. Li’s visit will be one of the most important high-level interactions between China and the EU this year. His trip is expected to strengthen cooperation, which will be conducive to further developing China-EU relations.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Chao (C) at a press conference in Beijing on May 27, 2017. /CGTN Photo

Leaders of China, Germany, the EU and Belgium will send a common message in support of an open world economy, free trade and investment, globalization, and world peace and stability, said Wang at the press conference.

"Currently, the international situation is experiencing complex changes. Economic recovery is sluggish, and there has been a rise in protectionism and a trend towards de-globalization. There are more uncertainties and destabilizing factors. China and Europe are two major economies in the world, and we have broad common interests and similar positions on advancing free trade, supporting a multilateral trading system and strengthening global economic governance,” emphasized Wang.

“By working more closely together, China and the EU and EU member states will become a stabilizing force in the current international situation and will inject positive energy into the recovery of the global economy."

At the same time, business cooperation will be an important part of China's relationship with Germany and Belgium. During Li's visit, agreements will be signed on further cooperation.

"In 2016, the volume of two way trade was 151.29 billion US dollars, and Germany continues to be China's largest trading partner in the EU,” assistant minister of commerce Li Chenggang pointed out at the press conference. “In 2016, German investment in China was 2.7 billion US dollars, up by 74.2 percent. We cooperate closely on the Belt and Road Initiative, smart manufacturing, third-party markets and energy conservation and environmental protection.”

Business cooperation will be an important part of discussions about China's relationship with Germany and Belgium during Premier Li's visit. /VCG Photo

The EU has been China's largest trading partner for many years, and China is the EU's second largest trading partner. “We are expanding in new areas of cooperation with the EU, such as infrastructure, financing and the digital economy,” said Li Chenggang. 

When talking about the important relationship between China and Belgium, Li Chenggang said that Belgium is China's seventh largest trading partner and 12th largest source of investment in the EU, while China is Belgium's second largest trading partner outside the EU.

“China and Belgium have enormous cooperation potential in the chemical industry, food, financing, micro-electronics, bio-medicine, energy conservation and bio-sciences."