On June 22, Mr. Li Junru, former Vice President of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, met in Beijing with Ms. Maria João Rodrigues, Chair of the Board of Re-Imagine Europa (RIE) and former Portuguese Minister of Employment. The two sides exchanged views on issues of mutual concern, including practical China-EU cooperation, alignment of medium-and long-term development plans, and reform of global governance.

Mr. Li Junru pointed out that China-EU relations now stand at another critical historical crossroads. As two great civilizations with time-honored histories, China and Europe have long maintained close ties and exerted profound influences on one another, as epitomized by the spread of Eastern knowledge to Europe during the Renaissance and the influx of Western learning in China from the 1800s onward. It is continuous interactions and exchanges, rather than mutual isolation, that mark this bond dating back many a century. Today, as two major forces, two large markets and two splendid civilizations in the world, China and Europe share deeply intertwined interests and highly complementary development strengths. Their cooperation across all sectors rests on solid foundations and boasts broad prospects, having evolved over the years into an all-dimensional, multi-tiered and wide-ranging framework of win-win collaboration. China-EU cooperation on ecological conservation, in particular, stands as a model for multilateral mutually beneficial cooperation worldwide. At the same time, the international landscape is fraught with growing uncertainties, bringing various internal and external risks and challenges to China-EU cooperation. Li expressed the hope that all sectors in Europe will view the essence of China-EU relations in an objective and rational manner, abandon zero-sum mentalities, break free from the misconception of confrontation and competition, regard China as a long-term and stable strategic partner, jointly sustain the sound and steady growth of China-EU ties, and work together to advance a new multipolar international order.

Ms. Maria Rodrigues fully agreed with Li’s remarks. She stated that Europe is striving for strategic autonomy, yet the Russia-Ukraine conflict and other factors have led to divergent views within the EU on its policy positioning toward Russia, the United States and China. As a proponent of EU-China cooperation within the bloc, she, together with institutions including the RIE that she chairs, will continue to push for closer cooperation between the EU and China. Priority areas include ecological civilization advancement, digital transition, and the establishment of a new global order. The two sides can identify cooperative initiatives that align with their respective development needs, pursue mutually beneficial collaboration and healthy competition on a fair and level playing field, jointly overcome development bottlenecks, and coordinate responses to global risks and challenges.

Both sides noted that as influential think tanks, the China Institute for Innovation and Development Strategy (CIIDS) and Re-Imagine Europa (RIE) should deepen their cooperation further. Through joint research, academic exchanges and idea dissemination, the two organizations can boost mutual understanding between China and Europe, reduce misunderstandings, advance alignment of their medium- and long-term development plans, and foster sustained, sound and stable growth of China-EU relations.

Mr. Feng Wei, Vice Chairman of CIIDS, attended the meeting.