Visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in London on Monday that China and European countries should strengthen cooperation to deal with global financial crisis.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown (L) and visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao meet the press in London, Britain, Feb. 2, 2009. [Xinhua/Lan Hongguang]

Speaking at a joint news conference after talks with his British counterpart Gordon Brown, Wen said that during his week- long "trip of confidence" to five European countries, he met with European leaders for talks on issues of common concern, especially the global financial crisis, and achieved "fruitful" results.

Europe and China agreed that dialog and cooperation had dominated their 30-year ties, and great achievements had been made, said Wen, adding that such relationship had brought benefits to both sides, and set an example of mutual benefits and win-win outcome.

Sino-European relationship enjoys a solid foundation and a bright future, Wen noted.

In the face of global challenges such as the financial crisis, China and Europe should make joint efforts to promote cooperation, and make their own contributions to the world's harmony and sustainable development, said the premier.

"This financial crisis is a global one. No single country can remain immune and address this in isolation. We are sitting in the same boat and we need to work together to overcome difficulties," said Wen.

The premier said that if China could maintain its economic growth, "it will be the biggest contribution to the whole world" in a time of global financial crisis.

China is willing to strengthen coordination and cooperation with the international community, to work together to achieve an early recovery for world economy, and to build a fair, just, comprehensive and orderly international financial system, said Wen.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown (L) and visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao meet the press in London, Britain, Feb. 2, 2009. [Xinhua/Lan Hongguang]

Brown told reporters that Britain and China could work together and avoid a retreat to protectionism during the economic downturn.

"We know from previous downturns that a retreat to narrow, short-term protectionism policies would only serve to deepen the global recession and we must not and will not allow that to happen again," said Brown.

Brown said that Britain and China supported the reform of international institutions and the creation of an early-warning system for the global economy.

The two countries would push these and other proposals at the London Summit of G20 nations in April, he added.

Wen arrived in London on Saturday for a three-day official visit. Britain is the last leg of his week-long European tour, which began on Tuesday and has already taken him to Switzerland, Germany, the European Union headquarters in Brussels and Spain.

During the visit, Wen met with people from political, business and financial circles. He also delivered a speech at the University of Cambridge.

The premier is also paying a return visit for Prime Minister Gordon Brown's China tour early last year, as part of a regular high-level meeting mechanism between the two countries.

(Xinhua News Agency February 3, 2009)