Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi, India, Sept 9, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

NEW DELHI - Lying at the opposite ends of Eurasia, there is no geopolitical conflict between China and Europe, let alone a fundamental conflict of interests, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Sunday.

China is ready to work with Europe to promote the sound and steady development of the bilateral relationship, Li said when meeting with European Council President Charles Michel on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

As China and Europe are two major forces, markets and civilizations in the world, China-Europe relations bear on global stability and prosperity of the Eurasian continent, Li said

As China and Europe are two major forces, markets and civilizations in the world, China-Europe relations bear on global stability and prosperity of the Eurasian continent, Li said.

He added that China hopes to see a prosperous and stable Europe, and is ready to work with the European side to stay committed to their partnership, further strengthen dialogue and exchanges, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and properly handle sensitive issues, to promote the sustained, healthy and stable development of China-Europe relations and inject stability and positive energy into this turbulent world.

Li pointed out that both sides should strengthen strategic guidance. As this year marks the 20th anniversary of the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership, the Chinese premier said he looks forward to co-chairing the new round of China-EU summit with Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

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China's development is an opportunity, not a risk, for Europe, and both sides should continue to open up and cooperate for mutual benefit, the premier said.

No matter now or in the future, Li pledged that China is and will remain a trustworthy friend and partner of Europe. China stands ready to work with Europe to enhance dialogue and negotiation, discuss establishing relevant mechanisms to promote the reliability and stability of China-Europe economic and trade relations, he said, welcoming more European businesses to invest and operate in China.

Michel, for his part, said that the EU is willing to be a sincere, credible and constructive friend and partner of China.

A prosperous China is good for the EU and the wider world, and the EU has no intention to contain China's development, Michel said. The EU adheres to the one-China principle and stands ready to work with China to host a successful EU-China summit, deepen dialogue and cooperation in various fields, and jointly address global challenges such as climate change, public health, security and stability.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with European Council President Charles Michel on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi, India, Sept 10, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

On Saturday, Li said that the mainstream of China-Europe ties is cooperation, and the relations are win-win in nature.

In his meeting with Von der Leyen on the sidelines of the G20 summit, Li also said that China and Europe, as two major forces in a multipolar world and two major engines of global development, should come together even closer and step up their cooperation.

Li expressed the hope that the EU will uphold the principles of market economy and fair competition, keep its trade and investment markets open, and provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies to invest and operate in Europe

He called on both sides to offset uncertainties in the international landscape with the stability of China-Europe relations.

China, Li said, stands ready to work with Europe in successfully hosting the China-EU Summit this year, deepen mutual trust and properly handle differences through communication and consultation, and jointly make more positive contributions to global peace and development.

Risk prevention as well as cooperation are not mutually exclusive, Li said, adding that people should not simply equate interdependence with insecurity, nor should they overstretch the concept of security and politicize economic issues.

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Li expressed the hope that the EU will uphold the principles of market economy and fair competition, keep its trade and investment markets open, and provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese companies to invest and operate in Europe.

China is willing to further deepen green partnership with Europe, strengthen dialogue and cooperation in such fields as clean energy and green finance, and provide support for developing countries in tackling climate change, he added.

For her part, Von der Leyen said that since the beginning of this year, exchanges between Europe and China have been continuously strengthened and yielded positive results.

The European side, she added, is willing to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with China in various fields to jointly tackle climate change and other global challenges.