Sino-European relations have been developing soundly. Politically, both sides favor world multi-polarization, and share common strategic interests. The past years have seen increasingly frequent contacts and constantly deepening mutual understanding between China and the EU.

Since 1998, a mechanism for leaders meeting between the two sides has been established. Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji visited Ireland, Belgium, Russia and Kazakhstan in September 2001, and attended the Fourth China-EU Leaders Meeting and the prime ministers meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization held in Brussels and Alma-Ata respectively. At the Fourth China-EU Leaders Meeting, leaders from both sides profoundly exchanged opinions and reached wide consensus on Sino-EU ties and international and regional issues of common concern. They decided to expand exchanges and cooperation in the fields of economy and trade, science and technology, transportation and culture, and further strengthen Sino-EU political dialogue and cooperation in combating illegal emigration. They issued a joint communiqu¨¦ with substantial content. The meeting showed the direction for the development of all-round Sino-EU partnership in the new century, and laid a favorable political foundation for further strengthening of all-round mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation.

Sino-EU trade collaboration achieved remarkable success in 2001. The volume of bilateral trade totaled US$76.6 billion, up 11 percent over 2000, higher than the growth in China's trade with the United States and with Japan. China and the EU scored a win-win deal through multi-lateral and bilateral negotiations on China's entry into the WTO in 2001. Both European Commission President Romano Prudi and EU Commissioner for External Relations Chris Pattern gave high evaluation to China'sWTO entry.