European Council President Herman Van Rompuy (R) and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso (L) welcome China's President Xi Jinping at the European Council in Brussels March 31, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

Building up new types of partnership

President Xi stressed four key words to strengthen China-EU partnership when meeting with Italian and French leaders in Beijing on Feb 22, namely peace, growth, reform and civilization.

Back on March 31, 2014, Xi, for the first time, proposed that the two sides should jointly forge China-EU partnerships for peace, growth, reform and civilization to inject new impetus into China-EU cooperation, when meeting with then-European Council President Herman Van Rompuy in Brussels.

He elaborated the four key words by comparing China-EU ties as four bridges in his speech at the College of Europe in Bruges.

"We need to build four bridges for peace, growth, reform and the progress of civilization, so that the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership will take on even greater global significance." said President Xi.

The four words have gradually been emerged as a guiding principle for China-EU ties as well as a highlight and trend embodied in Chinese diplomacy.