China and the European Union (EU) will strive to map out a partnership agreement to set the tune for bilateral relations which have been prospered in an all-around manner in recent years, China's ambassador to the EU said in Brussels Saturday.

"The Seventh China-EU Summit held last December in the Netherlands has set the goal of launching talks on the new-generation partnership agreement," Guan Chengyuan told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

Currently, the main legal framework for relations between China and the EU remains the "1985 EC-China Trade and Cooperation Agreement," which merely covers economic and trade relations and the EU-China cooperation program, he said.

The agreement was then complemented in 1994 and 2002 by exchanges of letters to establish a broad EU-China political dialogue.

"Such an agreement signed in the 1980s can't cover the China-EU relations, which have been boosted in an all-around manner in recent years," Guan said, adding that a new generation of partnership would "lay down new basis" for the development of future bilateral ties.

And today, China and the EU are making "political" and "legal" preparations for starting the talks on the new partnership agreement.

"Both sides are conducting the feasibility study on the agreement," he said.

The ambassador also spoke highly of the smooth development of the China-EU relations since the two established formal diplomatic relations on May 6, 1975, stressing that they are "mature," "steadily-expanded," and "very fruitful."

China and the EU had vowed to deepen their all-around strategic partnership, he said.

Following the EU enlargement a year ago, the EU has become the biggest trading partner of China while China is the second largest trading partner of the EU, said the ambassador.

Last year, bilateral trade hit US$177 billion, surpassing the goal set by Chinese and EU leaders in 2003 when they hoped that bilateral trade could reach US$150 billionby 2007, Guan said.

During the first quarter of this year, bilateral trade increased by 35 percent.

China and the EU also cooperate in a wide range of science research projects, like EU's space development program Galileo.

The ambassador did not shun differences between China and the EU.

"It is normal," said Guan, noting that the differences stem from different "historic and cultural backgrounds" between the two.

He said bilateral relations are entering a new era now as the two are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

On Friday, Chinese and EU leaders exchanged congratulatory messages to mark the anniversary.

The EU's Troika foreign ministers, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner and a representative of British Foreign Secretary, will pay an official visit to China on May 11-12.

The visit and celebrations to mark the 30th anniversary will bring new momentum to the development of the ties, Guan said.

(Xinhua News Agency May 8, 2005)