Pragmatic discussions can illuminate the way to a brighter future for China-EU ties

With multifaceted engagement being a defining characteristic of Sino-EU relations, it should be with a due sense of pragmatism that the two sides handle their differences. It is on that basis that China and the European Union have maintained intensive and constructive contact and exchanges amid the growing global turbulence in recent years.

In the latest manifestation of that, Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with President of the European Council Antonio Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen during their visit to China on Thursday, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry said on Monday. The two EU leaders will also jointly chair the 25th China-EU Summit with Premier Li Qiang.

Such high-level interactions represent the two sides' shared commitment to engage with one another to deepen mutual understanding, coordinate their policies, responsibly settle their differences and expand common ground through substantive dialogue. Although trade disputes and the Ukraine crisis are high on the EU's agenda, they should bear in mind that the differences the bloc has with China on the two issues are not insurmountable. They should not be allowed to define the overall China-EU relationship.