INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
As China and the European Union celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, their economic collaboration stands as a cornerstone
of mutual growth, navigating global uncertainties through deepening trade, innovation and infrastructure connectivity.Over the past five
decades, China-EU economic ties have evolved from modest beginnings into one of the world's most consequential bilateral relationships
Trade volume, which stood at $2.4 billion in 1975, surged to $785.8 billion in 2024 despite recent geopolitical headwinds and trade
frictions.This growth reflects the resilience of a partnership rooted in complementary strengths, as China's vast manufacturing capabilities
and digital innovation prowess align with Europe's technological sophistication and leadership in high-value industries
Today, the EU remains China's second-largest trading partner, while China is the EU's top source of imports and third-largest export
market.The expansion of trade has been accompanied by deepening direct investment and pioneering cooperation in new energy sectors
Cumulative two-way investment, once negligible in the early 2000s, reached $260 billion by 2024, underscoring a strategic shift toward green
and high−tech collaboration
European firms have channeled funds into China's green transition, exemplified by BASF's $10 billion chemical complex in south China's
Guangdong Province and Volkswagen's electric vehicle (EV) partnerships with Chinese automakers like XPeng.Chinese companies are also
cementing their role in Europe's decarbonization drive
Battery giant CATL is constructing a 7.3 billion euro ($8.25 billion) plant in Hungary to supply European carmakers
Meanwhile, Zijin Mining's backing of Serbia's first EV factory in 2023 highlights cross-border industrial synergy
China has emerged as the largest investor in Hungary and Serbia for consecutive years, with new energy vehicles dominating these
partnerships."Strengthening open cooperation between China and the EU is an inevitable requirement of their endogenous interconnectedness
and economic symbiotic relationship," Cai Tongjuan, a research fellow of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of
China, told International Business Daily.The China-Europe Railway Express, a linchpin for connectivity, has further catalyzed trade
Since its launch in 2011, the railway network has surpassed 100,000 cumulative trips, with 2024 alone seeing 17,000 journeys, an 11 percent
Linking 227 European cities across 25 countries with over 100 Asian hubs, the rail service slashes transportation times by 30 percent
compared to sea routes while reducing carbon emissions
Notably, it has transformed inland Chinese cities like Chongqing and Chengdu into global logistics hubs while stimulating economic activity
in Eastern European nations like Hungary and Poland
The railway's cargo diversity, spanning 53 product categories, including high-tech electronics and luxury goods, mirrors the breadth of the
bilateral economic relationship.Looking ahead, there is vast potential for greater cooperation between the two sides
"Fifty years on, China and the EU jointly make up over one-third of the world economy, and the cooperation between the two has a greater
strategic value and global influence," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at a press conference in March.A healthy and stable
relationship will lift up both sides and make for a brighter world, he said.(Graphic by Yao Nian)
