In a meeting at Beijing's Great Hall of the People on Thursday, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prevot underscored the strength of bilateral relations and charted a course for even closer collaboration.
Marking 55 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1971, Vice Premier He, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, highlighted the enduring tradition of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two nations. "China and Belgium have established a close cooperative relationship featuring mutual benefits and win-win results," He stated, reflecting on a partnership that has seen fruitful collaboration in sectors including medicine, chemicals, finance, and logistics.
Looking to the future, He called on both sides to continue this tradition to promote the sound development of not only China-Belgium relations but also China-EU ties. He emphasized their shared role as defenders of multilateralism and supporters of an open world economy.
Echoing this sentiment, Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister Prevot described Belgium and China as "friendly cooperative partners on all fronts." He expressed Belgium's willingness to use the 55th anniversary as a catalyst to further develop bilateral relations, strengthen cooperation in various fields such as economy and trade, and jointly uphold the principles of multilateralism and free trade.
The high-level discussion signals a continued commitment from both Brussels and Beijing to a pragmatic and forward-looking relationship, reinforcing economic and diplomatic links at a time of global flux. The outcome is seen as a positive step for businesses and investors with interests in both Europe and Asia.
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Chinese vice premier calls for deepening cooperation with Belgium
cgtn.com
