China, EU hold strategic dialogue on bilateral, global affairs

Senior officials of China and the European Union (EU) agreed Wednesday to enhance coordination on global issues, continue to promote improvement to global governance and work together for more inclusive, balanced, sustainable globalization.

Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi co-chaired the seventh China-EU high-level strategic dialogue with EU high representative for foreign affairs and vice president of the European Commission Federica Mogherini.

Both sides agreed to work with each other on the Hamburg G20 Summit, the Paris Agreement on climate change, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, according to a press release published by the Chinese side.

The EU supports and will actively participate in the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation scheduled for mid-May in Beijing, said the press release, adding that both sides will speed up preparations for the annual China-EU summit.

China and the EU agreed to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, innovation, people-to-people exchanges and other areas.

China urged the EU to fulfill its obligations under Article 15 of the protocol on China's accession to the WTO at an early date so as to give a positive signal on backing a free and open multilateral trading system.

In accordance with Article 15, WTO members should cease the surrogate country approach in anti-dumping investigations on China after Dec. 11, 2016, which expires exactly 15 years after China's admission.

The EU side said they attach importance to China's concerns, will abide by the WTO rules and has started legal amendment procedures.

The two sides also had an in-depth exchange of views on Syria, the Iranian nuclear issue, the Korean Peninsula situation and other affairs.

Mogherini said that the EU is ready to enhance coordination with China. Endi