A group of Chinese diplomats, academic researchers, journalists and businessmen have travelled to Belgium, European Union headquarters and Kuwait boosting people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding during March 19-25.

At a seminar in Brussels, a senior Chinese diplomat said China and the EU do have different political systems and economic models but they do not have to necessarily become rivals.

Zhang Ming, Chinese ambassador to EU response at a recent seminar in Brussels came in connection with Brussels labeling Beijing as a “systemic rival” promoting alternative models of governance in its policy document on the bilateral relations.

“Frankly speaking, I don’t concur with that,” Zhang said at the seminar jointly hosted by the China Public Diplomacy Association, Brussels-based think tank Friends of Europe and China’s Mission to the European Union.

Zhang said:“When the Cold War was at its height, China and the EU made a bold decision to establish diplomatic ties, demonstrating a long-term and strategic vision.”

"In the following decades, we have managed to seek common ground in joint pursuit of cooperation and prosperity.” Zhang said .“History is the best teacher. We hope that our European friends would jump out of the zero-sum mentality and not fall into a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

Zhang also emphasized that China-EU cooperation is a general trend and will achieve a win-win situation in the future.

The two sides have accumulated experience in resolving differences for a long time, one of which is to enhance mutual trust, maintain an open and inclusive attitude, and properly resolve differences through cooperation and consultation, said Zhang.

Gunnar Wiegand, managing director for Asia and the Pacific at the European External Action Service (EEAS), said he agreed with Zhang's comprehensive and strategic positioning on China-EU relations.

Wiegand said that the EU and China are important partners of each other, adding that the two sides have similar positions and demands in maintaining multilateralism and building an open world, and have maintained close cooperation on major issues such as climate change and the Iranian nuclear issue.

During the seminar, representatives from China and the EU conducted in-depth discussions on how to strengthen cooperation, cope with challenges, and develop healthy and stable China-EU relations in the changing world, ranging from economic and trade relations, WTO reform cooperation, Belt and Road cooperation, humanities exchanges and human rights issues.

Ambassador Hu Zhengyue, vice-president of the China Public Diplomacy Association, said at the seminar that China-EU relations are very crucial.

“China always views the EU from a strategic and global perspective and regards the development of China-EU relations as a long-term priority for foreign policy.” Hu said.

There is cooperation and competition between the two sides, but the mainstream should be cooperation, Hu said.

China is entering a crucial period of a new round of reform and opening-up. And we are open to EU investment and hope that the EU will treat Chinese companies equally, said Hu.

Xu Jian, a former Chinese ambassador to Slovenia, Romania and Poland; Zhang Yansheng, a senior researcher at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges; Wang Yiwei, director of the European Union Research Center of Renmin University of China; Fu Jing, managing director of China Daily' think tank China Watch Insititute and Pan Qingjiang, vice-president of China Harbour Engineering Company also delivered speeches at the meeting.

During the visit to Europe, the delegation lead by Hu Zhengyue also met with Jean-Christophe Belliard, deputy secretary-general of the European External Action Service and held a dialogue with young students of the College of Europe in Bruges.

Kuwait leg

The delegation of the China Public Diplomacy Association has also travelled to

Kuwait during March 22-25, holding people-to-people exchanges with diplomats, academia and business leaders in the country.

The association, the University of Kuwait and the Chinese Embassy in Kuwait has organized a seminar, debating on China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Kuwait's “Vision 2035".

Li Minggang, Chinese ambassador to Kuwait has addressed the opening of the seminar.

Hu Zhengyue, deputy director of the China Public Diplomacy Association, said that the two economies are highly complementary and there is great potential for cooperation in energy, infrastructure and mobile communications.

Hu hoped that exchanges and cooperation in culture, education, scientific research, tourismand other fields would enhance trust and friendship between the two peoples.

(The intern Wang Xiaoyan contributed to the story)