China, EU lift restrictions on exchanges, signaling strong willingness to cooperate: expert

China and the European Parliament have decided to simultaneously and comprehensively lift restrictions on mutual exchanges as agreed by the two sides, a move which will inject new impetus into the sustained, healthy and stable development of China-Europe relations, a Belgian expert said Tuesday.

Alberto Turkstra, project manager at Diplomatic World, a Brussels-based quarterly international magazine, shed light on the significance of the decision which comes when China and the European Union (EU) marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

"Because it comes just May 6, the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between China and the European Union. And also practical to add the necessary momentum and to add the necessary political trust," he said.

As U.S. President Donald Trump's chaotic tariffs prompted its trading partners to seek for stable alternative partnerships, China has become the best choice for the EU. Turkstra believes many Europeans are optimistic about the opportunities provided by China.

"II think it makes for great news for European companies who have always seen China as an important market. [Whoever] I speak to here is very eager to tap into the Chinese market. This tariff war has accelerated this process of coming together for EU and China economic sphere," he said.

Against the backdrop of the Trump administration's trade protectionism and tariffs, China and Europe have common vital interests in stabilizing global trade rules, safeguarding the multilateral system, and building a diversified trade network. Turkstra said the two sides can fully carry out pragmatic cooperation to inject valuable stability and certainty into the global economy and trade.

"I think that for the EU and China, in this turbulent world, we have to live now with the transatlantic partnership with so many question marks over it, this is the perfect time to join forces for a stable world. We are two great civilizations, so we will agree to disagree on some matters, but that that does not take away the fact that there is plenty of room opportunities for cooperate [cooperation] in the business community," he said

China, EU lift restrictions on exchanges, signaling strong willingness to cooperate: expert

China, EU lift restrictions on exchanges, signaling strong willingness to cooperate: expert

The 32nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting concluded in east China's Suzhou on Saturday, yielding fruitful results and laying significant groundwork for the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in November.

The trade ministers' meeting focused on "building an open and predictable regional and multilateral economic and trade order" and "fostering new engines of innovative and dynamic trade and investment cooperation."

Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao briefed the media on the meeting's outcomes at a press conference.

Wang said the meeting issued a joint statement titled the Suzhou Statement, and approved the latest edition of the APEC Roadmap for Innovative, Competitive and Resilient Services.

All parties agreed to advance policy innovation and reform in services trade, build an open and predictable investment environment, improve regional trade facilitation and supply chain resilience, strengthen standards coordination, and enhance intellectual property protection, Wang told the media.

He also said that substantial progress was made on a framework document for regional digital trade cooperation and the ministers emphasized promoting inclusive AI development, strengthening AI-related trade, and bridging the digital divide to ensure shared benefits from digital transformation.

The minister noted that the outcomes of the meeting demonstrated strong cooperation willingness, highlighted an innovation-oriented approach, and reflected inclusiveness and shared benefits. "The fact that Asia-Pacific economies can come together, uphold the original aspiration of promoting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation while supporting economic growth and prosperity, and engage in in-depth discussions on the important issue of 'where multilateral and regional economic and trade cooperation is headed,' fully demonstrates that open regionalism and true multilateralism enjoy broad support, and that mutual success and shared development serve the fundamental interests of all economies," Wang said.

2026 APEC trade ministers' meeting concludes with fruitful results