On July 1, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Brussels. This marked the first stop in a series of high-level diplomatic engagements between China and the European Union this week, and also served as an important demonstration of strategic communication and consensus-building between the two sides against the backdrop of the 50th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic relations.

Prime Minister De Croo noted that Belgium and China enjoy a long history of friendly exchanges, and that Belgium plays a gateway role in EU-China cooperation. He stated that China's development achievements in recent years have been impressive, and in the face of complex geopolitical and global challenges, Europe looks forward to deepening pragmatic cooperation with China and achieving fruitful outcomes from this visit.

In recent years, China-Belgium relations have maintained sound momentum. China has become Belgium's third-largest trading partner outside the EU. According to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, bilateral trade between China and Belgium reached 39.19 billion USD in 2024, covering multiple sectors including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, digital technologies, new energy, and logistics. The depth and breadth of cooperation between the two countries continues to expand.

In the field of green development, Chinese enterprises are actively contributing to Belgium’s energy transition and carbon neutrality goals. At the recently concluded 2025 Solar Solutions Amsterdam (SSA) exhibition in the Netherlands, China’s LONGi Green Energy signed a supply agreement with Belgian energy company Earth BV for 100MW of Hi-MO X10 photovoltaic modules, injecting strong momentum into Belgium's clean energy market. LONGi President Li Zhenguo stated that the photovoltaic industry is inherently globalized, and Chinese solar companies are committed to participating in global markets with an increasingly open posture.

In terms of connectivity, COSCO Shipping is actively involved in the operation of the Port of Zeebrugge. In 2022, Zeebrugge merged with the Port of Antwerp to form the new Port of Antwerp-Bruges, integrating Belgium's largest and second-largest ports. The new entity has annual revenues exceeding 21 billion euros, positioning itself as a major maritime hub in Europe and significantly improving the stability and efficiency of the Eurasian logistics corridor.

In digital technology, cooperation between the two countries has also yielded fruitful results. As early as 2015, Huawei established its European Research Institute in Leuven, Belgium, serving as a hub for technological innovation in Europe. The institute has since collaborated with numerous Belgian universities and research institutions in areas such as 5G, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, making notable contributions to Europe’s digital transformation.

Indeed, China-Belgium cooperation is but a microcosm of broader China-EU engagement. Over the past five decades, China has remained committed to dialogue and cooperation, actively advancing pragmatic cooperation with European countries in multilateral affairs, global governance, and industrial collaboration, yielding substantial achievements and promising prospects.

For example, in Germany, Chinese companies have engaged in deep cooperation with their German counterparts in green manufacturing, high-end equipment, and new energy vehicles. CRRC (China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation) and Siemens Mobility have jointly developed smart train control systems, electric propulsion technologies, and energy-efficient systems, providing customized rail transport solutions to multiple European cities and contributing to local transit efficiency and green development.

In France, the State Power Investment Corporation of China and Électricité de France (EDF) are jointly advancing hydrogen energy projects, promoting technological integration in the renewable energy sector. Meanwhile, cultural exchanges have flourished, with the 2024 China-France Year of Cultural Tourism featuring events in Paris, Beijing, Lyon, and other cities, further strengthening people-to-people ties between the two nations.

Across the broader European landscape, countries such as Hungary, Greece, and Italy have deepened cooperation with China under the Belt and Road Initiative, covering infrastructure, port logistics, and vocational education. The China–Central and Eastern Europe Cooperation mechanism continues to evolve, fostering regional synergy and serving as an important component of the overall China–EU cooperation framework.

China has consistently demonstrated the responsibility of a major country in global governance. China firmly supports true multilateralism, advocates openness and cooperation, and upholds the principles of fairness and justice.

Looking ahead, there is every reason to believe that as China continues to deepen exchanges and cooperation with countries around the world, the global economy will move toward greater fairness, sustainability, and inclusiveness—bringing much-needed stability and momentum to long-term global development.