A China-Europe trade forum co-sponsored by China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and The Hague municipal government opened in The Hague on Tuesday.

Trade cooperation between China and Europe has become increasingly important against the backdrop of the financial crisis which also threatens the real economy, said Henk Kool, vice mayor of The Hague.

China's GDP rose by 9.9 percent in the first three quarters of this year, while the Dutch economy only increased by 3.2 percent in the first half of 2008, Kool said.

As the world's fourth largest economy and third largest trading power, China has played a role that can't be overestimated, said Kool.

The country has contributed to world prosperity and stability with its rapid economic growth, a fact more evident in today's world which is increasingly dominated by uncertainties, Kool said.

Zhang Wei, CCPIT vice president, hailed the fruitful trade cooperation between China and Europe over 30 years, saying that the EU has become China's biggest trading partner and China the EU's second largest.

The China-EU trade cooperation enjoys broad prospects as the emerging Chinese economy brings more opportunities for Europe, while Chinese enterprises at the same time have also showed unprecedented interest in the European market, Zhang said.

(Xinhua News Agency October 29, 2008)