The European Union (EU) will host high-level talks this week with China to strengthen their trade and investment ties in order to speed recovery in the ongoing global financial crisis, the European Commission said on Wednesday.

The high-level economic and trade dialogue on Thursday and Friday will bring together key policy makers from both the EU and China, including EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton and Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan.

"The way out of this economic crisis is not to shrink into our shells. We need to kick-start our economies, fight protectionism and create new opportunities for trade and investment," Ashton said in a statement before the meeting.

"The EU and China have both taken proactive steps to get our economies moving again and we should focus on making sure our economic relationship is fair and open," she added.

During the two-day meeting, the two sides intend to cover a series of topics, including trade, investment, small- and medium-sized companies, customs cooperation, sustainable development, product safety and intellectual property rights.

It is the second time that the EU and China hold the high-level economic and trade dialogue. The first meeting was held in Beijing in April 2008.

(Xinhua News Agency May 6, 2009)