The European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, has said relations between the EU and China are "very profound."

"There may be a few little problems here and there. But fundamentally, it is a strategic partnership," he said.

In an interview with Xinhua on Monday, Solana said Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's upcoming visit to the EU headquarters and other EU nations is "proof" of the EU-China strategic partnership. "We will continue to work together because of a number of problems in the world today."

Relations between the EU and China suffered setbacks in 2008, particularly over the rare postponement of the EU-China summit after French President Nicolas Sarkozy insisted on meeting the Dalai Lama.

Despite this, Solana said current EU-China relations are "good" in general.

"We have great respect for China and admire the tremendous steps forward having taken place in China. We would like very much to keep working together. And I think we have in front of us a great deal of challenges," Solana said after attending a seminar jointly sponsored by China's mission to the EU and the Madariaga-College of Europe Foundation.

"The G20 summit will take place very soon. We have to set up a new world economic order, in which China and the EU will work together," Solana said.

The summit, to be held in London on April 2, is expected to deal with major questions of economic action that are necessary.

With the global financial crisis lingering, Solana said bilateral economic relations have to be "better and deeper." In the meantime, there is a very important international agenda where China and the EU will cooperate, he added.

"I hope that 2009 will be a year in which we will work together and help to solve the major problems facing the world today," he said.

The EU's top diplomat also used the occasion to congratulate the Chinese people on the upcoming Spring Festival, which falls on Jan. 26, and wish them "a very happy new year."

"I hope the economic crisis will be over, the sufferings of people in the world will stop and the cooperation between China and the EU can go on," he said.

Earlier on Monday, Solana also spoke highly of the China-EU ties in his concluding remarks at a seminar entitled "China's ability to cope with natural disasters: a global challenge."

"We have built a strong partnership, a strategic partnership, based on our conviction that only close cooperation between us brings the answers to the many challenges our citizens are facing," he said. "The list of topics where China and the EU must cooperate is quite long actually."

"It is therefore in our profound interest to establish this relationship as a pillar of the global order. We all sense that this order is currently evolving and the EU and China together ought to make sure that its new shape conforms to our common interest," he said.

While pointing out there are differences between the EU and China, Solana stressed: "Both sides have to respect this."

"It is imperative that we learn to manage these differences and do not lose sight of the greater issues at stake which overwhelmingly argue in favor of this strategic partnership," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency January 20, 2008)