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Foreign and Military Affairs

Chinese premier arrives in Brussels

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-10-04 18:04

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BRUSSELS - Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived in Brussels on Monday for a series of meetings and also for an official visit to Belgium.

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During his three-day stay in Brussels, Wen is scheduled to attend the eighth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and the 13th China-European Union (EU) summit. He will also attend the opening ceremony of the sixth China-EU Business Summit and a high-level China-EU cultural forum.

Wen flew in from Greece, the first stop of his four-nation tour which will also take him to Italy and Turkey.

Addressing the Greek parliament, Wen elaborated on China's stance on China-EU ties, saying China is committed to advancing China-EU relations, which is not an expedient but a long-term strategic policy.

He vowed to boost cooperation with the EU in the face of the global financial crisis, saying China will not reduce its euro-bond holdings and that China supports a stable euro.

The Chinese premier also urged the EU to recognize China's full market economy status as soon as possible, ease restrictions on high-tech exports to China and reject trade protectionism "so as to foster an environment conducive to the healthy growth of our trade."

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying said earlier that Wen was expected to put forward a package of initiatives at the ASEM summit.