1st LD Writethru: China, Belgium sign cooperation deals, agree to explore third-party market

China and Belgium have signed an array of cooperation deals worth more than 18 billion euro (about 20 billion U.S. dollars), Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Monday.

The deals cover such areas as interconnectivity development, finance, telecommunications, microelectronics and education.

At a joint press conference after talks with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michele, Li said China and Belgium have also agreed to jointly explore the third-party market.

During the talks, Li hailed the China-Belgium ties which are built on the basis of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit, as well as the rapid development of bilateral cooperation.

China is ready to work with the Belgian side to optimize the interconnectivity structure that covers land, sea and air routes, and build Belgium into an important distribution center between China and Europe, Li said.

Expressing his support for more investment activities between enterprises of the two countries and their efforts in facilitating each others' access to the local market, Li encouraged financial institutions of the two sides to carry out strategic cooperation so as to offer sound support to the cooperation in the real economy.

China, the premier noted, is willing to carry out trilateral international production capacity cooperation with Belgium as well as cooperation in the equipment manufacturing industry in places like Africa, in a bid to boost the pace of industrialization in local communities.

Meanwhile, closer people-to-people exchanges in the areas of education, scientific research, tourism and culture, will also help enhance friendship between China and Belgium, Li said.

The Chinese premier voiced his hope that Belgium could continue playing a positive role in the European Union (EU) and further promote the development of China-EU ties.

For his part, Michele said cooperating with a third-party jointly with China not only benefits Belgium and China, but also matters to the recovery of the European economy.

Belgium wants to be a gateway for Chinese companies to enter Europe, said Michele, adding that his country is willing to work with China to fly more direct flights between the two countries.

Li arrived here Sunday for the 17th China-EU leaders' meeting in Brussels and to meet the Belgium leadership. He will travel to France later on Monday for an official visit, as well as a visit to the headquarters of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris. Endi