【正确答案】 The world is undergoing major development, changes and adjustments. The trend toward multi-polarity, economic globalization, IT application and cultural diversity is deepening. Countries are increasingly interconnected and interdependent. Meanwhile, the world is witnessing growing instabilities and uncertainties, with unilateralism, protectionism and de-globalization on the rise.
Remarkable socio-economic progress has been achieved since China launched reform and opening-up 40 years ago. Yet China's international status as the world's biggest developing country remains unchanged. Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, China will stay committed to pursuing peaceful development, comprehensively deepening reform and breaking new grounds in opening-up on all fronts, and building a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind in order to create new opportunities for and make fresh contributions to world peace and development.
European integration has advanced as regional countries and their people endeavor to maintain peace and gain strength through unity. The European Union, a grouping of countries with the highest level of integration and strong overall strength, plays a strategically important role in the international arena. Despite events including Brexit, the EU has remained committed to the direction of integration, pressed ahead with reforms in response to challenges and played a major role in regional and international affairs.
As major participants in and contributors to world multi-polarity and economic globalization, China and the EU share extensive common interests in upholding world peace and stability, promoting global prosperity and sustainable development and advancing human civilization, making the two sides indispensable partners to each other's reform and development. The EU has been China's largest trading partner for 14 years in a row and China the EU's second largest trading partner. Developing a sound relationship with the EU has long been a foreign policy priority for China.