PM Wen Jiabao: China to Continue Helping EU

China PM Wen Jiabao (L) with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy (C) and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso (R) at a ceremony of signature during the EU-China Summit in Brussels. EPA/BGNES

Outgoing Chinese PM Wen Jiabao reaffirmed his country's commitment to help the EU sort out its financial crisis, during his final visit to Brussels Thursday.

"China will continue to play a role in resolving the European debt issue via the requisite channels," stated Wen after meeting European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

"During the last months China continued to invest in EU governments' sovereign bonds and continually discussed ways to cooperate with the Union," said the Chinese PM.

"Europe is moving along the right track. What remains to be done is to fully implement the reforms," added he.

Wen reiterated China's strong committment to "consolitating relations" with the EU to the mutual benefit of both parties.

At the same time, his visit to Brussels is in the context of a prolonged trade dispute.

Apart from the EU arms embargo, PM Wen mentioned the EU's refusal to treat China as a fully-fledged market economy, which is preventing Brussels from lifting its tariffs on Chinese goods, writes the BBC.

At the same time, bilateral trade has more than quadrupled under Wen's 9-year term as a PM. The EU is now China's largest export market and the world's second-largest exporter to China.