European Commission (EC) President Romano Prodi said in Brussels Wednesday the relations between the European Union (EU) and China are "at a historic high point." 

Prodi, who will pay an official visit to China from April 13 to 16, said he was "looking forward to seeing the Chinese leadership and to achieving yet further progress on our common agenda."

"We have a dynamic partnership in place, full of substantial and constructive action," Prodi said.

A press release issued Wednesday evening by the EC said during his China tour, Prodi will meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, to discuss ways to enhance the rapidly growing partnership between the EU and China.

Prodi will make two keynote speeches in China. One, titled "The role of the European Union in a changing world", will be made in the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the other, on Europe's economic ties with China, at the China-Europe International Business School in Shanghai.

Recently several EU leaders like EU foreign and security chief Javier Solana and European Commissioners Pascal Lamy and Franz Fischler have already made official visits to China. European Commissioner Philippe Busquin is now in China for a visit.

During the China-EU summit last October, the Chinese and EU leaders vowed to boost strategic partnership in an all-around manner. Following the EU enlargement on May 1, the EU will likely become the biggest trading partner of China.

(Xinhua News Agency April 8, 2004)