CGTN: CHINA-EUROPE TIES: SHAPING THE NEXT 50 YEARS

BEIJING, Dec 5 (Bernama) -- This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union - a pivotal moment not only for reflecting on the past, but for exploring the pathway for the next half-century. As the year draws to a close, prominent European leaders and thinkers have visited China, engaging in open dialogue about where China and Europe will go from here.

Looking back, former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi offered an arresting reflection. “China and Europe have never been enemies, but we have never been brothers,” he said. “And this is the moment in which history obliges us to change.” Prodi made the sharp observation that Europe must fully recognize the scale of China’s rise and understand that China’s role in global affairs is now indispensable.