The two-day China-Europe political-party forum concluded optimistically with calls for further exchanges that would be held alternately in Brussels and Beijing

Representatives of China-Europe Hight-Level politcal Parties speak at a news briefing in Beijing on May 25, 2010.[China.org.cn]

Admitting differences between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and her party, Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, chair of the European Liberal Democrats and Reform Party, said, "We have had interesting exchanges of our differences, and I hope we'll be able to continue this very fruitful dialogue in the future."

Reinhard Buetikofer, vice-chair of the Group of the Green/European Free Alliance in the European Parliament, said the EU and China should work together and political parties should play an important role.

"Countries, big or small, more or less powerful, must contribute to solving global problems – that is our common destiny," Buetikofer added.

Adrian Severin, vice-chair of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in European Parliament, said the EU wants an even stronger China.

"We believe that a self-secure, self-confident, stronger China is one of the best assets for the equilibrium, stability and security of the world," Severin said.

He said differences should be acknowledged and respected but ideological differences don't preclude dialogue, and that political parties are indispensable in any international democratic system.

"We have to build on what is less different or what we have in common, and by doing that I'm sure we could mitigate the differences and reduce the divergences," Severin said.

Furthermore, Severin proposed setting up an internship program for young Chinese to observe how European parties operate. He hoped his Chinese counterparts would be receptive to the idea.

Li Yuanchao, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said the forum is a CPC initiative to cultivate party-to-party exchanges and provide an important platform for exchanging views on common concerns.