Recently, the article "China-Europe Ties on Steady Course in a Fluid World" written by Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi was published by New Europe, a magazine of European Union. The full text reads as follows.

The international landscape in 2010 has been rather fluid. The momentum of the global financial crisis has been curbed, yet its impact has been deepening and it has triggered profound changes in international relations and the global pattern. The world economy has continued with its slow recovery, but more fragility and imbalance have been exposed. Global economic and financial risks have persisted, and protectionism has further exacerbated. The issue of development has become more prominent, with major economies pondering adjustments to their economic growth and management models. The global power configuration has become more balanced. A number of emerging economies have risen rapidly in succession, and shown strong momentum of growth as a group, further closing the gap with developed countries. And groupings like BRIC and BASIC countries have grown in strength.

Reform of the international economic system has made headway. Developing countries are now participating in global economic governance mechanisms in a more equal fashion than the past. The G20 is evolving from a crisis response mechanism to one focusing on long-term economic governance, and its role and influence is receiving wide attention. There has also been positive progress in IMF and World Bank reforms.

The international security picture has become more complicated. Although peace is taking greater hold in the world, the intertwining of traditional and non-traditional security issues has made security threats more diverse and complex. While Asia enjoys general stability on the whole, security challenges are on the rise and the hotspot issues heat up from time to time. Some Asian countries have experienced political instability and factors affecting security have become more complex.

More currents of thought have come to the fore. A lot of exchanges, reflection and changes are going on in the international cultural field. New ideas and proposals have been put forward by various countries.

And there has emerged a clearer trend of more mutual learning and exchanges between different civilizations and different development models.

Thanks to concerted efforts, China and Europe have achieved steady growth in our strategic partnership in 2010.

There have been more frequent exchanges in the political field, closer economic ties and more active people-to-people exchanges between the two sides. In the current situation, the case for China-Europe cooperation is stronger than ever. Our cooperation will benefit not only the development of our two sides but also stability and sustainable development of the world.

China and Europe may have different views on some issues due to our differences in social system, development stage and cultural tradition. This is natural. It is important for us to rise above ideological differences, respect and treat each other as equals, seek common ground while setting aside our differences, and strive for a win-win situation. In the coming new year, China is ready to work with Europe to strengthen dialogue and cooperation, increase mutual understanding and trust, and promote sustained, sound and steady growth of our relations.