A Chinese culture week at the European Parliament in Brussels is aimed at breaking mental barriers so as to facilitate China-EU ties, a senior Chinese diplomat said Wednesday.

In a globalized era, not only political and trade barriers should be broken in order to develop international relationships, said Song Zhe, head of the Chinese mission to the European Union (EU).

"Although China-EU relations remain generally healthy, cognitive differences and certain unfriendly actions of the European side are hindering the enhancement of mutual trust and further development of the China-EU relationship, Song told members of the European Parliament and experts from think tanks.

The ambassador called for a drop of old mentality and adoption of a positive attitude and tolerance for the sake of a healthy and stable China-EU relations in the long run.

"China is embracing the world with open arms," said Song.

The Chinese culture week, which is held on the occasion of the Chinese lunar new year, features tea ceremony, calligraphy, Chinese cuisine, Sichuan opera and T'ai Chi kung fu, as well as lectures on traditional Chinese medicine and Confucian philosophy.

(Xinhua News Agency February 4, 2010)