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Chinese President underlines relations with EU

TOKYO, Dec 1 (KUNA) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday it is in the common interests of China, the EU and the international community to maintain the upward momentum of China-EU relations and pursue mutual benefits, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.
Xi made remarks during the meeting with President of the European Council Charles Michel in Beijing while noting that China and the EU are two major forces for world peace, two major markets for common development and two major civilizations for human progress, according to the report.
"The more turbulent the international situation becomes and the more prominent the global challenges become, the greater the global significance of China-EU relations will be," he added.
Xi also mentioned former Chinese President Jiang Zemin, saying Jiang passed away on Wednesday in Shanghai due to illness after medical treatment had failed. During his tenure as China's state leader, Jiang attached great importance to the development of China-EU relations.
"We will carry on his legacy and continue to consolidate and develop China-EU relations," Xi said, adding that China will continue to view and develop its relations with the EU from a strategic and long-term perspective, and stands ready to strengthen strategic communication and coordination with the EU to ensure the steady growth of the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership.
Noting that the Chinese path to modernization and the European integration are choices that China and the EU have respectively made with an eye on the future, Xi said the two sides should have mutual understanding and mutual support for each other, and that China hopes that the EU will become an important partner in China's pursuit of the Chinese path to modernization and share the opportunities offered by China's market, institutional opening up and deepening international cooperation (end) mk.rk