Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on Wednesday, with both sides expressing willingness to deepen cooperation and jointly address global challenges.

Wang said the more complex and challenging the international landscape becomes, the more China and the European Union need to strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust, assume responsibilities, and serve as forces of global stability and certainty.

Describing the upcoming China-EU leaders' meeting as a significant event taking place at a critical juncture, Wang said China looks forward to working with the EU to summarise the valuable experience and important insights from the past 50 years of the China-EU relations, and map out the future direction of dialogue and cooperation for the next 50 years, sending a clear, positive, and constructive signal to the world.

The foreign minister also called on both sides to uphold multilateralism and free trade, safeguard international rules and order, promote peaceful resolution of international disputes, and join hands in addressing global challenges such as climate change.

For her part, von der Leyen said the upcoming EU-China leaders' meeting will be the best opportunity for both sides to jointly mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.

Highlighting the EU's commitment to developing stable and constructive ties with China, and mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation, von der Leyen said she looks forward to in-depth discussions with Chinese leaders on issues of mutual concern, demonstrating the two sides' commitment and responsibility to deepen cooperation and jointly tackle global challenges such as climate change, thereby sending a strong and positive signal to the world.

Von der Leyen also reiterated that the EU will continue to adhere to the one-China policy.

Wang's visit to Brussels – following which he will head to Berlin and Paris – comes some three weeks ahead of a summit between President Xi Jinping and the EU's top officials in Beijing. (Xinhua/AFP)