Relations between China and the European Union were further cemented on Friday as leading diplomats found common ground in their push for stronger bilateral relations.

"We need each other," Serge Abou, head of the EU delegation said at the opening of a high-level international conference marking the 50th anniversary of the European Union in Beijing on Friday.

"The EU needs a prosperous and stable China while China needs a prosperous and stable EU. Europe does not consider China a threat."

Li Ruiyu, director of the Department of European Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told the Chinese and European delegates that China and the European Union do have "different views", but both sides had found "effective ways to handle the differences to further develop our partnerships".

China's economy is making its presence felt on the world stage. Nearly 30 years ago its earnings accounted for roughly 0.5 percent of the world's total.

Today, that figure is growing, accounting for about 7.5 percent, a figure Abou said was "phenomenal".

Acknowledging the existence of low living standards in parts of China he had visited, Abou said the country had accumulated significant industrial, scientific, space and financial power.

A strong partnership between the EU and China will benefit both sides, he said, adding that Europe has become the first destination for Chinese students to study overseas.

Some 1.5 million Chinese tourists visited Europe last year but that number could grow to 5 million in the future.

Wu Jianmin, president of China Foreign Affairs University and executive vice-president of the China National Association for International Studies, said China and EU must open new frontiers for cooperation, such as dealing with climate change.

"We (China) need advanced technologies from the EU to improve energy efficiency," Wu said, referring to greenhouse gas reduction.

But the EU should make the technologies affordable for China and other developing countries, he said.

Meanwhile, Wu rejected some European media claims that China had taken jobs away from the Europeans. Last year, China imported services and products worth US$90 billion from Europe, which should have created 1 million jobs in Europe.

(China Daily March 31, 2007)