By Xinhua writer Zhu Sheng
BERLIN, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The year 2020 saw full-fledged cooperation between China and the European Union (EU) amid the still lingering COVID-19 crisis.
In the post-pandemic era, a closer China-EU relationship is not only in the interests of both sides, but also of great significance for the entire world.
Since China and the EU established diplomatic ties 45 years ago, the bilateral relationship has maintained a sound momentum. The two sides have established the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership and are actively promoting partnerships for peace, growth, reform and civilization.
Healthy and stable China-EU relations yield positive results. In 2019, bilateral trade between China and the EU was worth 300 times as much as that in the early days of diplomatic relations. The relationship has expanded to areas including peace and security, science and technology, culture, education and health.
On the global stage, China and the EU are two major driving forces for the peaceful development of the world. The two sides have been working closely on a raft of major international and regional issues and play important roles in supporting multilateralism.
When the coronavirus disease ravaged the global community earlier this year, China and the EU joined hands in fighting against the pandemic, once again demonstrating the resilience of bilateral cooperation.
The achievements of China and the EU, which together account for roughly a quarter of the world's population and one third of gross global product, illustrate how cooperation outweighs competition.
In face of an increasingly uncertain world, the two sides must sustain their momentum, set aside differences and bolster cooperation in order to tackle more pressing challenges such as ensuring a global economic recovery and fighting climate change.
Just as Hans-Peter Friedrich, vice president of German Bundestag, the lower house, commented, EU-China cooperation is of global significance. There's plenty of common ground in deepening economic, scientific and technological cooperation.
Moreover, the two sides must turn commitments on paper into concrete action and breath new life into the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership in this new era.
It is an age of change. Confronted with the unprecedented pandemic, the world has arrived at a crucial juncture. At this historical moment, the world more than ever needs stronger and closer China-EU ties. China and the EU must work together in solidarity for a better shared future for humanity. Enditem
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