European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso reiterated on Friday that he opposed any boycott of the Beijing Olympics.

He made the remark during a joint press conference with Premier Wen Jiabao in the Great Hall of the People after a two-hour meeting.

"I have already said in Europe - and I repeat it in China - that the Olympics must be a celebration for the youths of the world, and that it must be a success. That is why I am against the boycott," he said.

He was apparently referring to a European Parliament resolution earlier this month, which called on its 27 members to consider boycotting the opening ceremony of the Games over the Tibet issue.

The European Union supports China's territorial integrity and considers Tibet to be part of China, Barroso said.

"We had an open and frank exchange of views on Tibet. I am encouraged by our exchanges and I hope to see positive developments soon," he said.

Barroso is leading a delegation of nine commissioners, one-third of the EU executive, including EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, for discussions on topics ranging from intellectual property protection to climate change, in a bid to strengthen the Sino-European partnership.

It is the first time the EU has sent such a large, high-level delegation to China, which showed the group's strong desire to foster and deepen relations, Barroso said.

Wen said the two sides have agreed to enhance cooperation on energy conservation and emissions reduction.

"Our mutual benefits by far outweigh the conflicts. As long as we respect, trust and learn from each other, there will surely be a better future for the Sino-EU relationship," Wen told reporters.

Barroso said the focus of the talks was climate change and China had signaled its intention to make domestic emissions part of a global agreement to tackle climate change after 2012.

He said there were "major imbalances" in trade and both sides had agreed on the need for a rebalance.

The two sides also vowed to deepen cooperation in areas such as product quality, food safety, social policy, sustainable development and youth exchanges.

Barroso also met with President Hu Jintao on Friday afternoon.

He thanked China's continuous support for the integration of Europe, and wished every success for the Beijing Olympics.

The EC president and his delegation arrived in Beijing on Thursday afternoon for a three-day visit.

Besides the high-level meetings, Barroso also attended a seminar on climate change on Friday, while his nine commissioners held talks with their Chinese counterparts.

(China Daily, Xinhua News Agency April 26, 2008)