At noon on February 18th (local time), Pan Feng, President of Europe-China Economic Cooperation and Development Council (ECECDC), held a working discussion with Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The two sides engaged in in-depth exchanges on key topics, including strengthening cooperation with FAO, promoting China-EU geographical indication(GI) product activities, and addressing food security and safeguards.
On the morning of February 17 (local time), the first annual working meeting of the Europe-China Economic Cooperation and Development Council for 2025 was convened in Madrid. Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Chairman of the Council and former Prime Minister of Spain, held discussions with Pan Feng, President of the Council. The two sides engaged in in-depth exchanges on key topics, including advancing economic and trade exchanges between China and Spain, investments by Chinese new energy enterprises in Spain,the China-EU Former Senior Officials Dialogue, the China-EU High-Level Entrepreneurs Dialogue, the hosting of the 4th China-EU Geographical Indications Products Expo, and Spain’s participation in the National Pavilion of the 8th China International Import Expo. Miguel Sebastian Gascon, former Spanish Minister of Industry, Rafael Galan, Secretary-General of the EU-China Economic Cooperation and Development Council, and over ten other representatives accompanied.
On the evening of November 18th, the business gala of the Europe-China Economic Cooperation and Development Council (ECECDC) was successfully held in Madrid. Mr. Jose Luis Zapatero, Chairman of the Europe-China Economic Cooperation and Development Council (ECECDC) and former Prime Minister of Spain, delivered a speech at the gala and had a working discussion with Mr. Pan Feng, President of ECECDC, before the dinner started. The two sides exchanged in-depth views on promoting the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Spain to a new level, Chinese enterprises’ investment in Spain, dialogue between Former Senior Officials of China and Europe, dialogue between High-Level Entrepreneurs of China and Europe, and the organization of the 8th China International Import Expo, and other related topics. Yao Jing, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to the Kingdom of Spain and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to the Principality of Andorra, Inma Rodriguez Piero, Member of the European Parliament and Member of the International Trade Committee, and Miguel Sebastian Gascon, Former Minister of Industry of Spain, were among the more than 30 distinguished guests attended the event.
On the morning of November 5, 2024, the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE), themed “New Era, Shared Future,” opened in Shanghai. Premier of the State Council Li Qiang attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech.
Pan Feng, President of Europe-China Economic Cooperation and Development Council (ECECDC), attended the opening ceremony at invitation and held meetings with leaders from several Chinese provinces and municipalities, foreign diplomats accredited to China, and representatives of well-known enterprises.
Xu Kunlin, Governor of Jiangsu Province
Chen Zhichang, Mayor of Nanjing
Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Former Prime Minister of France
Zheng Xuexuan, Chairman of China State Construction Engineering Corporation
He Dongfeng, Chairman of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd. (COMAC)
Cui Zhicheng, Director and General Manager of China General Technology (Group) Holding Co., Ltd.
Center: Zhang Wei, Chairman of PipeChina Right: Zou Lei, Chairman of China Datang Corporation Ltd.
Left: Wang Hai, Chairman of China Tourism Group Corporation Limited Right: Zhang Yujin, Director and General Manager of China South Industries Group Corporation Limited
On 18 October 2024 (local time), Mr. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Chairman of the Europe-China Economic Cooperation and Development Council (ECECDC) and former Prime Minister of Spain, held talks in Madrid with Mr. Song Hailiang, Party Secretary and Chairman of China Energy Engineering Group (Energy China). The two sides conducted in-depth exchanges on jointly advancing global connectivity, strengthening clean energy development, building new-type power systems, and establishing joint technology innovation centers, among other areas of pragmatic cooperation. The discussions aimed to support the stable and sound development of the China–EU comprehensive strategic partnership and to contribute wisdom and strength to the global green and low-carbon energy transition.
Mr. Zapatero expressed appreciation for Energy China’s contributions to China–Spain economic and trade relations and to the development of the green and low-carbon energy sector. He noted that Europe–China relations are vital to world peace and stability. As a close friend of China within the European Union and an important cooperation partner, Spain firmly supports openness and free trade and actively promotes mutually beneficial and win-win development between the two countries. He emphasized that ECECDC will continue to play its role as a bridge, promoting sustained exchanges and cooperation between European stakeholders and China. The Council will also actively support Chinese enterprises, including Energy China, in expanding their competitive industries in Europe, working together to make greater contributions to addressing global climate change and advancing the green energy transition.
On the morning of September 10, in Shanghai, Pan Feng, President of Europe-China Economic Cooperation and Development Council (ECECDC), held talks with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. The two sides had in-depth discussions on deepening Sino-Spanish economic and trade exchanges, promoting the implementation of green new energy projects, and strengthening cooperation in the field of electric vehicles. Marta Betanzos Roig, the Spanish Ambassador to China, Wang Sheng, representative of CEATEC-EUWC in Spain, and Huang Wei, Secretary-General of CEATEC-EUWC, accompanied the meeting.
On August 6, 2024, members of a Southeast European delegation held talks in Zhengzhou with Wang Kai, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Henan Provincial Committee and Governor of Henan Province, engaging in in-depth discussions on advancing pragmatic cooperation. Participants of the meeting included Viorica Dăncilă, Co-Chair of ECECDC and former Prime Minister of Romania; Martin Mici, Director General of Development in the Field of Food Safety, Veterinary, Plant Protection and Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Albania; Amer Meçinović, Member of Parliament of North Macedonia; Andrey Tehov, Ambassador of Bulgaria to China; and Sashko Nasev, Ambassador of North Macedonia to China.
Wang Kai welcomed Dăncilă and the delegation on their visit to Henan for exchanges and study. He noted that Henan, located in the heartland of China, enjoys a strategic location with well-developed transportation networks, a profound cultural heritage, a comprehensive industrial system, distinctive agricultural strengths, and strong development momentum, occupying an important position in the development of Chinese civilization. He emphasized that Henan Province is currently earnestly studying and implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech and the guiding principles of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. In accordance with the deployments of the Seventh Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Henan Provincial Committee, the province is comprehensively advancing reform tasks, expanding high-level opening-up, fostering and developing new quality productive forces, accelerating the transformation of old and new growth drivers, and promoting high-quality development through further deepening reform across the board.
Dăncilă stated that China is an important partner for Southeast European countries, and that Henan boasts vast market potential and strong momentum for opening-up, with increasingly close economic and trade cooperation as well as people-to-people exchanges with Southeast European countries. She expressed her willingness, together with other members of the delegation, to actively promote cooperation and exchanges between Southeast European countries and Henan in areas such as international logistics, modern agriculture, green energy, education, and healthcare, so as to share development opportunities and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.
On July 5, 2024, Yin Li, Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee, met in Beijing with José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Chairman of the Europe–China Economic Cooperation and Development Council (ECECDC) and former Prime Minister of Spain.
During the meeting, Yin Li commended Zapatero for his positive role in promoting practical cooperation between China and Europe. He noted that China and Europe are two major forces promoting multipolarity, two major markets supporting globalization, and two major civilizations advocating diversity. China–EU relations therefore carry strategic significance and global influence. The European Union is Beijing’s largest trading partner, and in recent years exchanges and cooperation between Beijing and EU member states have continued to deepen, becoming a vivid reflection of China–EU relations. Yin expressed the hope that ECECDC will play an active role in promoting deeper mutually beneficial cooperation between various sectors in the EU and China, as well as Beijing, allowing all sides to share greater development opportunities. Beijing stands ready to work with the Council to enhance mutual understanding and trust between China and Europe, promote the sustained, stable and sound development of China–EU relations, and further expand economic and trade exchanges between Beijing and European countries. He also called for stronger mutual promotion and support for enterprises investing and operating in each other’s markets; deeper cooperation in scientific and technological innovation through better alignment of innovation resources; and expanded collaboration in fields such as new energy vehicles, biomedicine, and green environmental protection. In addition, he emphasized strengthening exchanges in cultural and tourism, education, and youth sectors to further enhance friendship between the peoples of China and Europe.
Zapatero stated that China–EU relations are of vital importance to global peace and stability. As a good friend of China within the European Union and an important partner, Spain firmly supports openness and free trade and is committed to promoting mutually beneficial and win-win development between Spain and China. ECECDC will actively play its role in promoting continued exchanges and cooperation between various sectors of the EU and China, as well as Beijing, in areas including trade, investment, and culture. Pan Feng, President of ECECDC, and Marta Betanzos Roig, Ambassador of Spain to China, also attended the meeting.
From July 3rd to 5th, Chairman of the Europe-China Economic Cooperation and Development Council (ECECDC) and former Prime Minister of Spain, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, accompanied by Spanish Ambassador to China, Marta Betanzos Roig, and Pan Feng, President of the Europe-China Economic Cooperation and Development Council, visited China to attend the 8th Global Think Tank Summit. This summit, hosted by the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, was themed “Working Together for a Better World Amidst Multiple Uncertainties”.
On 4 July 2024, Mr. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Chairman of the Europe-China Economic Cooperation and Development Council (ECECDC) and former Prime Minister of Spain, met in Beijing with Mr. Ma Hui, Assistant-minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. Ms. Marta Betanzos, Ambassador of Spain to China, and Mr. Pan Feng, President of ECECDC, were also present.
Mr. Zapatero spoke positively of the China–Spain comprehensive strategic partnership and emphasized Spain’s willingness to play an active role within the European Union to promote the healthy development of Europe–China relations. He stated that he advocates deepening mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation and opposes trade protectionism. Against the backdrop of a turbulent international situation, Spain attaches great importance to China’s international status and influence, and is willing to further expand channels for dialogue and areas of cooperation with China, uphold multilateralism, enhance coordination and cooperation in international and multilateral arenas, and jointly address global challenges.
Mr. Ma Hui noted that Spain is a country with significant influence and that former Prime Minister Zapatero has long been committed to promoting the development of China–Spain and China–Europe relations. China is willing to work with Spain to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, deepen pragmatic cooperation across various fields, promote the healthy and stable development of China–Spain and China–Europe relations, and jointly make positive contributions to world peace, stability, and prosperity. Mr. Ma Hui also exchanged views on issues including the European Union’s proposed imposition of additional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
