Expert calls on Europe to strengthen economic cooperation with China

As China's growth has made the country "an attractive market" for Europe, it is high time for the continent to establish its own China policies and foster trade relations with China, a Spanish expert has said.

Saying economic cooperation with China can help Europe become stronger, Eduardo Irastorza, a professor at Spain's OBS Business School in Barcelona, told Xinhua in a recent interview that Europe needs "unified and long-term commercial strategies."

"Europe competes with quality but not quantity, and this is the competitive advantage" when trading with China, the Spanish expert noted, adding that the stability of the Chinese economy will allow Europe to be confident when making long-term agreements.

At the end of 2020, China had been the world's second largest import market for 12 consecutive years, as well as the main export destination country of many countries and regions.

Last year, China's foreign trade exceeded 6 trillion US dollars for the first time, reaching 6.05 trillion dollars, according to the General Administration of Customs of China.

As a global leading trader, China has become a "developer" of great technological innovations, Irastorza said, noting that the Asian country enjoys inventive, competitive and economic advantages.