Wen said both sides should give full play to the role of the China-EU summit in strategically guiding the development of the bilateral ties. Other dialogue mechanisms, such as high-level economic and trade talks, should further promote exchanges and cooperation in various sectors, he said.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L), Czech President Vaclav Klaus (C), whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso attend a press conference after the 11th China-EU Summit in Prague, Czech Republic, May 20, 2009. [Wu Wei/Xinhua]

Both sides should also give full play to the role of legal framework as a stabilizer, and reach a deal on the China-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) as soon as possible, Wen said.

In January 2007, China and the EU began substantial negotiations on the PCA, which would serve as a framework agreement encompassing the full scope of their bilateral relationship.

The key to China-EU strategic cooperation is the principle of mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs while taking into consideration each other's core concerns and properly handling sensitive issues, Wen said.

The bilateral relations should not be adversely affected by individual incidents, said the premier.

Wen also expressed hope that the EU would recognize China's market economy status and lift the arms embargo against China at an early date, which he said is in the interest of both the EU and China-EU ties.

Meanwhile, the EU side said the EU-China relations are very important, both strategically and comprehensively, and have a huge potential for development.

The EU attaches great importance to its dialogue and cooperation with China and remains actively dedicated to further deepening the China-EU Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, it said.

The EU is ready to, in the spirit of sincerity and openness, further strengthen mechanisms including the EU-China Summit and China-EU high-level economic and trade talks, speed up negotiation process of the EU-China PCA, and push forward the EU-China relations in the face of various global issues and challenges, it said.

The EU also reiterated its adherence to the one-China policy and support for the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations. The EU is willing to deal with China's market economy status in a fair and objective manner and has the political will to solve the issue of arms embargo against China, it said.

The two sides also exchanged views on how to deal with the international financial crisis.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L) shakes hands with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso (R) as Czech President Vaclav Klaus, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, looks on at the 11th China-EU Summit in Prague, Czech Republic, May 20, 2009. [Huang Jingwen/Xinhua]

Wen said China and the EU share common interests and broad consensus when it comes to the fight against the crisis.

China and the EU should work together to overcome the current difficulties and make contribution to the early recovery of the world's economy, he said.

The EU side said China's sustained economic growth benefits not only Europe but also the world at large. It also hailed the measures China has recently adopted to stimulate its economy and expand domestic demand as being effective.