China and the European Union (EU) should be committed to peaceful coexistence, openness and cooperation, multilateralism and dialogue, and consultation, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday, calling on the two sides to firmly promote the healthy and stable development of their comprehensive strategic partnership, CGTN reports.
Xi made the remarks while co-hosting a China-Germany-EU leaders' meeting on Monday evening in Beijing via video link with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
What kind of China-EU relationship should be developed?
President Xi proposed four principles for developing the China-EU relationship — peaceful coexistence, openness and cooperation, multilateralism, dialogue and consultation.
He further elaborated that as there are no identical political systems in the world, the coexistence of multiple civilizations represents normalcy, saying that the more firm the strength underpinning China-EU peaceful coexistence, the more guaranteed the world peace and prosperity.
Talking about openness, Xi said that China is working toward the goal of fostering a new, dual-cycle development architecture with the domestic cycle as the mainstay and with domestic and international development reinforcing each other.
He stressed China is ready to work with the EU to step up dialogue and coordination at bilateral, regional and global levels, stay committed to a global governance outlook featuring consultation, contribution and shared benefit, defend the international order and system with the United Nations at the core, and promote the political settlements of international and regional hot-spot issues.
