BEIJING: Ambassadors from 32 European countries visited China’s top political advisory body on Thursday, highlighting efforts to strengthen cooperation as China and the European Union mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
The delegation toured a museum to learn about the history of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, or CPPCC, and China’s system of consultative democracy. They later met with CPPCC National Committee members to discuss boosting civilizational exchanges and building consensus.
Wang Dongfeng, vice chairman and secretary-general of the CPPCC National Committee, said the China-Europe relationship has become one of the most influential bilateral ties globally, contributing to the well-being of the Chinese people and to international peace and development.
Lu Shaye, China’s special representative for European affairs, said that over the past five decades, China and Europe have established more than 70 dialogue and cooperation mechanisms and have become major trade partners. Trade in goods has risen from $2.4 billion when ties were established to nearly $800 billion.
Lu said the relationship now carries even greater strategic weight amid global challenges such as slow economic growth, climate change, and artificial intelligence governance. He called for China and Europe to work together to uphold multilateralism, defend the international system with the United Nations at its core, and help resolve global and regional issues through dialogue and consultation.
Swiss Ambassador to China Jurg Burri noted the symbolic significance of the anniversary, saying it is an opportunity to deepen ties between institutions on both sides.
He said the CPPCC has frequently hosted Swiss delegations for exchanges on political systems and will soon welcome a Swiss parliamentary delegation as part of continued engagement.
Spanish Ambassador Marta Betanzos Roig said people-to-people exchanges between Spain and China have grown in recent years, especially in education. She said the number of students studying in each other’s countries has seen remarkable growth in the past decade.
As China becomes increasingly connected with the world, especially with Latin America, Betanzos Roig said, there is potential to further expand Chinese interest in learning Spanish, the world’s second-most spoken language. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
