On October 6, 2010, Premier Wen Jiabao co-chaired the 13th EU-China Summit with President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy and President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso in Brussels.

Wen said that the international financial crisis posed heavy impact on the development of China and the EU and tests China-EU relations. While actively coping with the crisis, China attaches great importance to strengthening coordination and cooperation with the EU. At the most difficult moment of world economy, China and the EU issued the joint statement expressing the firm determination of helping each other overcome the difficulties. China, with tangible actions, expressed support for and confidence in the EU. A strong and stable EU is beneficial to China and the world at large.

He noted that China is glad to see the EU stabilized its finance, passed the most difficult moment of economic growth and took important steps in the integration process. China is confident that the EU enjoys a bright and promising future. China admires that the EU summit reiterates it attaches strategic importance to developing relations with China and hopes the EU regards China’s development objectively and fairly, respect China’s core interest and major concerns truly, formulate and implement more active and far-sighted policies about China and promote greater progress of China-EU all-round strategic partnership.

He suggested that under new circumstances the EU-China Summit, as the highest-level political dialogue mechanism between the two sides, play a better strategic leading role, coordinate China-EU dialogue and cooperation in various fields and at all levels, promote the coordinated development of China-EU relations and China’s relations with EU member states and help solve the two difficult issues of recognizing China’s market economy status and lifting arms embargo on China so as to eradicate obstacles to the further development of China-EU relations.

Wen indicated that China is willing to make joint efforts with the EU to stimulate the balanced and sustained development of bilateral economic and trade relations, improve the mutual investment environment, reinforce the financial and fiscal cooperation, deepen the new and high-tech cooperation, expand the cultural and educational exchanges, accelerate the reform of international financial system and keep communications and coordination on tackling climate change, ensuing energy security and properly addressing the regional hot-spot issues.

He appealed to all the responsible countries in the world not to fight trade war or currency war and expressed hope that the EU can maintain an objective and fair stance and play a positive role on the issue of RMB exchange rate.

He said finally that the development of China-EU relations is gratifying but still has a long way to go. Let’s join hands to press forward in face of difficulties and forge ahead into the future to push forward the development of China-EU relations.

The EU side made highly positive remarks on China’s major contributions to tackling the global economic crisis, thanked China for its powerful support for the EU member states in fighting the crisis, indicated that the EU and China enjoy wide common interest and to develop relations with China is a priority of EU’s foreign policy. The mechanism of EU-China Summit should be used to make strategic planning for bilateral relations, the dialogue and personnel exchanges should be strengthened, the mutual understanding should be enhanced, the problems of bilateral relations should be solved properly and the bilateral cooperation should be made more effective. The EU opposes various forms of protectionism including trade war and currency war and expects to broaden the bilateral economic and trade cooperation and mutual investment, step up the communications and coordination with China in international affairs, jointly cope with such global challenges as the international financial crisis and climate change and try to promote tangible results of the G20 Seoul Summit.

After the summit, the two sides issued the joint press communiqué.