By Xinxin Tong, CNTV Panview Commentator

The "EU-China Belt and Road Partnership" forum was held at the Renmin University campus in Beijing on July 16, 2016. Scholars and experts on EU-China relations were in attendance to share their thoughts and research over communications and partnerships between China and the European Union. 

Common interests boost EU-China partnership

Asad Beg, speaking on behalf of the Ambassador of the European Union to China, delivered a keynote address. He affirmed how the forum is an excellent occasion to inject fresh ideas to strengthen ties.

"We need to focus on areas of common interests and work pragmatically together. Of course, we will have many differences. Go and negotiate, we should not eye on differences, but work in a respectable manner and try to address those differences. "

Asad emphasized on the importance of common interests and illustrated on a number of methods of communication that could boost cooperation.

With regards to mutual prosperity, Asad holds an optimistic view. Chinese foreign direct investment has doubled to 20 billion euros into European Union and 9 billion euros the other way from the EU into China. He believes both sides can increase the quantity and quality for foreign investments in bilateral trade. 

Achieving comprehensive cooperation between China and EU

China and the EU have been great origins of civilization, while they are pumping economic and cultural prosperity into China’s Belt & Road Initiative. Chen Dawei, president of China-EU Association, said that expanding the historical Silk Road can encourage more consumerism. 

China and the EU may see many similarities in each other. Yet he said, "We both risk slow growth, slack consumption, and slim incentives in a maturing economy. So we need to find new momentum together to solve problems."

He suggested the primary source of development is technological progress, which China and the EU are interested in. The EU seeks smart, inclusive, sustainable growth, and China is aiming for innovative, coordinated, green, opening up, and shared development. 

Europe has more technologies and better capacity to innovate, but less will and incentive to succeed, while China wants to take advantage of that. China and the EU could drive the world economy to a better place. 

Both sides represent two kinds of civilizations. Historically, Europeans have learned from China, while the Chinese have also learned from European civilization. Yiwei Wang from Renmin University highlighted that the Belt & Road seems to be one of the greatest initiatives in human history, which would serve as a mutual learning and equal partnership for a new global civilization.

Relationship between Belt & Road and cities

Prof. Guener Heiduk from Warsaw School of Economics had outlined the role of cities along China-Europe train routes. According to his study, unlike the traditional friendship character of sister city agreements, the Belt & Road calls for a new type of multi-city arrangements, which strategically connect cities along its intercontinental routes. 

The Belt and Road Initiative offers opportunities for a third dimension, which would be the optical use of distance. He addressed the hypothesis of cities that serve as both origins and destinations for long distance interactions, which can increase their benefits by crossing cities on the route to optimize all gravity-relevant time-and distance-related costs and benefits.

The conference had concluded with fruitful exchanges. Asad said "as the EU and China are the cradles of some of the world’s great civilizations, there should be more exchanges to enrich our conversations," scholars and experts coming from near and far do agree that businesses and researchers in China and the EU could cooperate more comprehensively via the Belt & Road initiative. 

 Xinxin Tong, CNTV Panview Commentator

( The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Panview or CCTV.com. )

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