European Central Bank (ECB) President Jean-Claude Trichet has said that the rapid growth of the Chinese economy is an important contribution to the world economy and is even more so after the breakout of the global financial crisis.

Under the current situation, Europe and the world need more than ever a China which is steadily developing, said Trichet during a meeting with Song Zhe, head of the Chinese mission to the European Union (EU) in Brussels on Wednesday.

A lesson should be drawn from the financial crisis, which had hit the United States and many parts of the EU, said Trichet.

He stressed that the international financial and the monetary systems should develop to become more principled, more tenacious and more disciplined.

He noted that since the crisis broke out, the ECB, the central banks of the EU member states, and other countries including China had taken a series of measures of cooperation in a bid to restore the confidence of investors and consumers, and the stability of the financial market.

EU states had accepted the principles agreed upon at the Eurogroup summit in Paris last Sunday, with several EU nations introducing new bailout plans to rescue the banking systems, he added.

Leaders from the eurozone countries hammered out an action plan in a joint response to the unfolding financial crisis at their first ever summit in Paris. The plan was endorsed Thursday by the EU leaders in Brussels.

Ambassador Song said the adverse impacts of the global financial crisis on China had been limited and controllable.

He promised that China would watch closely the financial crisis ' impacts on the world economy, and would continue to play a positive role in the regard in a responsible manner.

China has achieved a steady and rapid economic development so far this year after overcoming natural disasters and the financial turmoil and instability, he said.

Under the current circumstances, to maintain a stable development of the Chinese economy and keep the country's financial system stable is the greatest and most responsible contribution to the international community, he added.

Meanwhile, Song said the financial crisis had exposed shortcomings in the current international financial and monetary systems.

He praised the eurozone for playing an outstanding role in the battle against the financial crisis.

(Xinhua News Agency October 17, 2008)