EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton on Monday began a two-day visit to China that was expected to focus on foreign policy and security issues, DPA reported.
Ashton and Chinese State Councillor Dai Bingguo discussed bilateral relations, the upcoming Group of 20 (G20) leaders' summit and the situation in West Asian and North African nations, China's Foreign Ministry said.
Dai was quoted as telling Ashton, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, that the development of China-EU relations should be based on mutual respect, cooperation, and the spirit of "crossing the river in the same boat".
The ministry quoted Ashton as thanking Dai for China's long-term political and economic support for the European Union.
Ashton was expected to hold her main talks on Tuesday with Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.
Ahead of her arrival in Beijing, Ashton said she would discuss the "most pressing foreign policy and security issues" with China, which were expected to include Libya and Syria.
She said she would also look to expand cooperation in areas such as intellectual property protection and would raise China's human rights problems during her talks.
"The quality of the relationship between the EU and China provides a solid basis to enhance our strategic partnership, whether on political, regional, trade or macroeconomic issues," Ashton said in a statement.
"I hope my visit can further improve our links, and take them into new areas," she said.
Ashton's visit was originally scheduled to precede a China-EU Summit originally scheduled for Tuesday, but European Council President Herman Van Rompuy informed China on Friday that he wanted to postpone the summit because EU leaders were expected to be preoccupied with ongoing talks over the eurozone crisis.
...