China and Europe are two significant forces advancing multipolarity, two big markets supporting globalization and 2 fantastic 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 these dayss 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 looked for to diversify their diplomatic channels.
It set off a fast expansion of trade: bilateral trade has grown from $2.4 billion at the outset to roughly $786 billion today a 300-fold boost driven by succeeding waves of tactical, economic and political cooperation.Trade surgesChinas reform and opening-up drive, launched in the late 1970s, spurred European business to enter the Chinese market.
Significantly, Volkswagens first joint venture, Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Co.
Ltd., was set up in October 1984, ending up being a catalyst for Chinas automobile modernization.Chinas 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 increased from 75 billion euros to 215 billion euros.
By 2016, annual bilateral trade in items reached 514.8 billion euros, with industrial and manufactured products controling circulations on both sides.Institutional structures also deepened in the early 2000s.
In 2003, China and the EU raised their ties to an extensive strategic collaboration.
Two years later on, they issued a joint statement on environment modification, establishing the China-EU Partnership on Climate Change to coordinate policies, technology transfer and clean energy innovation.China-EU cooperation not just benefits both sides, but also works as a supporting force in worldwide trade.
Launched in 2011, the China-Europe Railway Express a trademark of the Belt and Road Initiative has since ended up being a vital artery in the global supply chain, playing a progressively crucial role in promoting open cooperation, mutual advantage and economic combination amongst taking part countries.The train network offers a more well balanced mode of transport, said Bernd Noche, a professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany, whos likewise the head of its Department of Transport Systems and Logistics.
When we think about train connections, this is now a special mode of transport because it is faster than a ship, but at lower cost than by plane.
So, its something in between, he stated, including that there are lots of products ideal for rail transportation.By November 2024, the China-Europe Railway Express had completed over 100,000 trips, connecting more than 220 cities across Eurasia and transporting goods valued at over $420 billion.Deepening trustBeyond economic and trade cooperation, China and the EU share a strong dedication to deepening political trust and adding to worldwide peace and prosperity.At the Munich Security Conference in February 2025, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi declared that there is no dispute of basic interests or geopolitical contradictions between China and the EU, and advised both sides to support their tactical collaboration based upon shared respect, mutual trust and long-lasting stability, while using the 50th anniversary as a new beginning indicate prepare the plan for future cooperation.
With no fundamental conflicts of interest or geopolitical competition, China and the EU support the main function of the United Nations, supporter solving international problems through discussion, 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 competitors, agreement goes beyond differences and chances far surpass risks, he included.