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Relations between China and the European Union (EU) had made steady progress in various fields, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said Tuesday at the regular ministry press conference in Beijing.
Chinese leaders and Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan would meet with a European Union Troika delegation of foreign ministers, Zhang said, stressing the two sides would discuss major issues of common concern including Sino-EU relations and Iraq.
At present, Sino-EU ties were generally developing smoothly, with frequent high-level contacts and extensive cooperation, she said. Trade between the two had hit a record high of 86.76 billion US dollars.
She said cooperation between the two sides in various fields was expanding and they had reached wide consensus while discussing key international issues of common concern in the United Nations and other international meetings.
China was willing to strengthen its all-round relations with EU member countries through the meeting with the EU delegation, she said.
At the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan, the delegation will pay an official visit to China from Feb. 13 to Feb. 15. The delegation will include Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou, EU Commissioner for External Relations Christopher Patten, Italian Vice Foreign Minister Margherita Boniver and representatives from the EU Council.
(Xinhua News Agency February 12, 2003)
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