German Bundestag vice president says EU-China cooperation of global significance

The summit of Chinese, German and European Union (EU) leaders showed the importance of EU-China cooperation, which is in the interests of both sides and indispensable for addressing global common challenges, said Hans-Peter Friedrich, vice president of German Bundestag, the lower house.

The summit was co-hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen via video link on Monday.

The meeting took place at a time when the EU-China relationship is facing major political challenges, Friedrich said in an email interview with Xinhua.

"The European Union and China both have an interest in deeper economic, scientific and technological relations," wrote Friedrich, voicing his belief that the EU-China cooperation is not only in the common interests of both sides, but also of global significance.

Prosperity in China as well as in the EU depends on the stability brought by their cooperation, Friedrich said, adding that the EU and China carry special responsibility because they are big beneficiaries of the global trading system.

"The EU will continue to foster cooperation to prevent a new division of the world into closed power systems, because the global challenges that humanity is facing can only be solved by all countries together," he said.