The relationship between China and the European Union should be viewed from a strategic height and long-term perspective, Chinese Ambassador Song Zhe to the EU said in Brussels on Saturday.

"If we stand high, we will look far and see many more. And we' ll be able to identify the correlation of all the points on the landscape. Our vision will become progressive, objective and comprehensive," he told a seminar titled "What China's Peaceful Development means to Europe and the World."

China always pursues a solution "that conforms to the overall interest of our relations and takes into consideration our cooperation in longer term and boarder sphere," he said.

"China never views its relations with Europe with a static, one- dimensional or fragmented vision, nor does it handle the individual cases of disputes with a narrow mind," Song added.

Speaking of China's foreign policy, Song said that it focuses on peace and cooperation. "When we say peace, we mean regional and world peace that is arduously maintained by all parties concerned, we mean peaceful methods for resolving disputes and conflicts. China supports negotiations and consultations. We oppose the use of force or threat to use force."

Cooperation, Song said, should be "on the basis of mutual benefit and aimed at common development." "There could be no more colonial exploitation," he stressed.

"And it is neither ethical nor feasible to sacrifice others' interest for one's own development. China does not pursue self-interest in disregard of others' welfare," he noted.

In its cooperation with other countries, China would give full play to each side's "comparative advantages" and "bring substantial benefit to all parties and peoples involved," and "we wish such cooperation contributes to everyone's social and economic development," he said.

"We hope that with further growth and progress, China will be able to make greater contributions to world peace and development, " he added.

Also speaking at the seminar, Professor Gustaaf Geeraerts, director of the Brussels Institute of Contemporary China Studies ( BICCS), said that China is experiencing a "very historical transition, has really entered the world stage" and plays a "very important role".

He indicated that one of the major challenges for the EU-China relations is that the EU lacks a unified position on its China policy.

Stanley Crossick, founding chairman of the European Policy Center (EPC), also expressed his doubt over the ability of the EU, which has 27 member states, in speaking with one single voice.

(Xinhua News Agency April 26, 2009)