On July 10, 2012, Premier Wen Jiabao met with EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy High Representative and Vice President of European Commission Catherine Ashton in Ziguangge, Zhongnanhai.

The China-EU relationship has witnessed positive progress in recent years, which has become a successful example of exchanges and cooperation between nations with different social systems and historical and cultural backgrounds, said Premier Wen. He said the efforts to address the international financial crisis and the European debt crisis are not only severe challenges, but important opportunities to Europe and they have helped the relationship between China and the EU to become more mature and stable. Wen said China welocmes the important results of the EU summer summit on promoting growth, reaffirming that China will back Europe's measures to boost market confidence. "China and Europe are highly complementary in economic terms and their economies are becoming more and more interdependent," Wen said, adding that the two sides should take a long-term and overall perspective, keep their markets open and seek a mutually beneficial situation. Wen also called for combination of each other's development strategies and advantages as well as closer cooperation between the two sides in infrastructure, investment, finance, new technology and environmental protection so as to enrich the connotation of China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership, work together to address challenges and achieve common development.

Ashton said the EU thanks for China's consistent and firm support of the European integration, adding that China has rendered precious support and help when Europe was in difficult times. The development process of EU-China relations has shown that Europe and China can go beyond the differences, seek common ground while reserving differences, enhance cooperation and join hands to address challenges together and achieve common development on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit. The EU side cherishes its ties with China, she said, adding that the EU is ready to work together with the Chinese side to well prepare the 15th China-EU Leaders' Meeting, enhance mutual trust, boost cooperation and further advance the EU-China relationship in a sustainable way.

State Councilor Dai Bingguo, Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun and Wu Hailong, head of the Mission of the People's Republic of China to the European Union, attended the meeting.