BRUSSELS — State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on March 18 that cooperation is the mainstay of China-Europe relations.

“The High Representative and I firmly believe that cooperation is the mainstay of China-Europe relations for the past and the present, and in the future it will always be this case,” Wang Yi said during a joint press conference with European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini.

Wang told reporters that due to differences between their own history and culture, social system as well as developing stage, China and Europe inevitably have differences on some issues. He said it is normal that the two sides have competition in economic and trade areas as their cooperation goes deeper, and noted that moderate and benign competition could “enhance our own development and make China-Europe cooperation more resilient and dynamic.”

Saying that China is vigorously promoting high-level openness and high-quality development, Wang said Europe can benefit more from China’s new round of reform and opening-up.

The Chinese minister at the same time expressed the hope that Chinese companies could be treated in a fair, just and nondiscriminatory way in Europe.

All in all, the Chinese top diplomat said although competition between China and Europe is hard to avoid, cooperation is still the mainstay of bilateral relations, with win-win as their common goal.

Despite the upcoming European Parliament Election in May, China’s EU-policy would remain stable and continuous, said Wang, adding that he hoped the EU’s China-policy would be the same.

During President Xi Jinping’s European trip in 2014, China and the EU agreed to fully carry out the China-EU 2020 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation and build China-EU partnerships for peace, growth, reform and civilization.

Hailing the decision as China and the EU’s due responsibility to human society, Wang said it is also a strategic choice made by two important global forces, markets and civilizations against an ever-changing international landscape.

China and the EU should continue to jointly work to that end, said Wang.

Wang is in Brussels, where he co-chaired the ninth round of the China-EU High-level Strategic Dialogue with Mogherini on March 18.