Premier Li Keqiang arrived in Brussels on April 8 for meetings with European Union leaders, kicking off his first overseas trip this year.

Premier Li will hold the 21st China-EU leaders’ meeting with European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, the last China-EU leaders’ meeting during the tenure of the current EU institutions.

A series of agreements are also expected to be signed during his Belgian trip.

“The China-EU leaders’ meeting, a high-level platform for strategic communication between the two sides, has played a leading role in deepening China-EU relations and promoting dialogue and cooperation,” Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Chao said on April 3, stressing that this year’s meeting will be bearing transitional significance.

Leaders of the two sides will exchange views on bilateral ties and major international and regional issues of common concern, and witness the signing of cooperation documents on energy, competition policies and other areas, according to the ministry.

“We believe that this meeting will inject new impetus to the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership, take our dialogue and cooperation across the board to a new level, and strengthen the stability, reciprocity and strategic significance of our relations,” Wang said.