Five decades of diplomatic ties: China-Europe relations restart with a promising future

BEIJING, May 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report by China.org.cn on China-Europe relations:

Today, transformation of a scale not seen in a century is accelerating across the world. Against such a backdrop, China and Europe welcomed the fiftieth anniversary of their official diplomatic ties.

Europe is going through a period of turbulence unseen since the end of the Cold War. China, who has maintained a consistent policy towards Europe and remained committed to multilateralism, stands as a reliable partner for Europe as it explores new development paths.

First, five decades of sustained collaboration have forged a strong bond of shared interests between China and Europe, serving as a solid foundation for aligning positions and making joint efforts.

China and the European Union are highly complementary in their markets, industry structures, and technologies among other fields, achieving fruitful results since their diplomatic ties were founded in 1975. In 2024 alone, the volume of import and export goods between China and the EU reached 785.8 billion USD, making them each other's second-largest trade partner.

In response to the United States' tariff policies, China and the EU have stood in unison against the country's behavior, restarting their negotiations on EVs and speeding up exchanges to seek new fields for collaboration, in a bid to safeguard their common interests. As long as China and the EU continue to communicate and coordinate on economic and trade policies, and practice open and pragmatic cooperation in sectors including manufacturing, new energy and services, they are fully capable of becoming two prominent forces in the broader global market, which will not only enable them to rise to the current challenges, but also unlock new profit drivers.

Secondly, China-EU relationship has enjoyed resilience thanks to the rich experience in advancing joint efforts and managing competition over the past fifty years. Such resilience provides a strong impetus for both sides in their pursuit of development and stability.

China and Europe share notable similarities in their policy goals as well as the pathways they pursue. For example, China has constantly deepened reform and expanded opening-up, while reasonably balancing between its development priorities and security needs. Similarly, Europe has advocated the concept of "Open Strategic Autonomy," aiming to sustain its economic growth and political stability while improving security in its external environment. It is certainly possible for the two to translate such similarities into motivation for mutual engagement, so that they can not only benefit from each other's development, but also offer an example of fruitful cooperation and a viable roadmap for the rest of the world in a time of profound changes.

Half a century ago, the shadow of the Cold War didn't prevent China and Europe from meeting each other halfway; they sought common ground while shelving differences, stayed committed to down-to-earth cooperation, and always tried to break new ground, which is why their relationship has kept moving forward. Although the world China and Europe are in is vastly different from five decades ago, the original aspiration and the hard-won experience cannot and should not be forgotten.

As two constructive contributors to global peace and development, China and Europe can draw strength from their mutual respect and practical cooperation to navigate changes in this era, which will also bring greater stability and certainty to the world.

China Mosaic
http://chinamosaic.china.com.cn/index.htm