BEIJING — Vice-Premier Liu He on Nov 30 called on China and the European Union to strengthen pragmatic cooperation in the post-pandemic era.

Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at the 9th Hamburg Summit, where he delivered a keynote speech by video.

Liu said that China's economy has continued to recover since the beginning of this year, and its growth, employment, prices and balance of payments are generally normal.

It is expected that China's annual economic growth will exceed its target, he said, adding that China has full confidence in its economy for next year.

"We will focus on expanding market access and promoting fair competition to create a better business environment next year," he said.

China and the EU — as two major economies and two major forces for global economic recovery — should continue to strengthen pragmatic economic and trade cooperation in the post-pandemic era, jointly promote green and low-carbon transformations, deepen trade and investment cooperation, safeguard the safe and smooth operations of supply chains, and promote Asia-Europe interconnection, Liu said.

He also called on China and the EU to enhance mutual understanding through dialogue and discussion, and strive to reach consensuses on issues of common concern.