Remarks by President Donald Tusk after the 18th EU-China summit in Bejijng

Good afternoon. We have just concluded the 18th summit between the European Union and China. We had rich and sometimes very candid discussions on all dimensions of our relations. But most importantly our talks with President Xi and Premier Li were fruitful and conclusive. As a result I can say that we moved the strategic partnership between the European Union and China forward.

You had a chance to listen to our opening remarks yesterday, so you should know where we stand on some of the key issues. Therefore allow me to highlight just a few elements.

First of all we discussed the importance of international cooperation based on rules. A global order based on common rules is in our mutual interest but clearly we have our differences in what it means in practise.

Secondly, ahead of the September G20 summit in China. I am happy that we agreed to tackle the migration crisis at the global level. Over 60 million displaced people around the world seek protection; so the international community needs to step up its efforts.

Thirdly we agreed to have another round of dialogue between the EU and China about human rights still this year in Brussels. There is no doubt that there are disagreements on this issue. But I welcome that China stands ready to engage.

On a different note let me just mention that this morning I had the opportunity to visit the National Museum in Beijing. It gave me a chance to appreciate Chinese history and its impressive culture.

Finally let me say this. We came here to discuss common challenges in an open and friendly manner. It is not always easy to have such talks because the stakes are high and real differences persist. But after these two days I can say that we made progress and we did it also thanks to the openness and frank approach by both President Xi and Premier Li. We had a good summit here in Beijing and I look forward to hosting the next bilateral EU-China summit in Brussels next year. Thank you.