Vice Premier Li Keqiang's three-nation visit to Europe has expressed China's confidence, boosted mutual trust, expanded cooperation and deepened mutual understanding, Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying said Thursday.

Li returned to Beijing on Thursday afternoon after making visits to Spain, Germany and Britain at the invitations of their governments.

Fu said that the vice premier's visits took place as the deep-seated impact of the international financial crisis remains unabated, the global economic recovery still faces uncertainties, and as Europe is in a tough fight against sovereignty debt crises.

The visits were a great success and have been a solid start for the development of China's relations with Europe in 2011, Fu said.

ENHANCED MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING

According to the vice foreign minister, Li said during his visit that China is a strategic partner of the three nations, and shares with them extensive common interests. Calling China's development an opportunity for the European countries, Li also said their prosperity and stability means opportunity for China.

China is willing to work in concert with the three nations to rise to the challenges and seek common development, Fu quoted Li as saying.

When visiting Spain, Li said choosing Spain as the first leg of his tour was to convey China's confidence in the country and the European Union (EU) in their fight against the sovereignty debt crises.

Li called Spain a good friend and partner of China, and expressed China's willingness to intensify their traditional friendship and cooperation, and express its confidence in Spain's ability to tide over the current economic difficulties.

Recognizing Germany as China's important partner in the EU, Li hailed their close cooperation and their mutual respect of each other's core interests.

He expressed the hope that the two sides will understand and settle each other's concerns with a positive attitude in the new situation so as to further deepen bilateral ties.

During his stay in Britain, Li said, to enhance the stability of bilateral relations, the two countries should continue treating each other on an equal basis and respecting each other's path of development.

The Chinese leader said he wishes for China to deepen cooperation with the three nations and the EU when combating crises, and to establish with them a partnership featuring future-orientation, equal treatment, mutual benefit and an all-win result, and sustainable development.

He also hoped the countries could promote the EU to recognize China's full market economy status and lift arms embargo on China, Fu said.

The three nations all see China's development as opportunities instead of threats. Considering China and the EU as two big economies and major forces in the world, they believe their enhanced cooperation will contribute to peace, prosperity and stability of the world, Fu said.

They also expressed the desire to work with China to bring their ties with China as well as the EU-China relationship to new levels, Fu added.

STRENGTHENED TRADE, ECONOMIC RELATIONS

Fu said that, during Li's visit, he saw new developments in energy exploration and scientific and technological innovation in the three nations, and signed with them cooperation deals in energy and resources, aviation, telecommunication, finance, machinery, and tourism.

As China's economy and that of the EU are quite complementary, Li lauded the great potential for Europe's cutting edge in technology to combine with China's huge market.

Li urged both sides to consolidate traditional cooperation, explore new cooperative areas, develop large projects and create new cooperation highlights. He also expected the two sides to boost the level of technological cooperation and jointly explore the third-party markets to bring mutual benefits and achieve a win-win result for all.

Vowing to further improve the investment environment, the Chinese leader welcomed more European enterprises to invest in China. He also encouraged more Chinese investment in Europe.

Li wished that the three countries could join hands with China to combat trade and investment protectionism, ease restrictions on high-tech exports to China and further facilitate Chinese businessmen's travels to Europe.

According to Fu, Li also expounded on China's stances on the issues of the exchange rate of China's currency, government procurement, technology transfer, protection of intellectual property rights and rare earth export.

Fu said that the three nations support free trade, oppose trade protectionism and will keep promoting the EU to recognize China's full market economy status at an early date.

Spain hailed Chinese investors' role in stabilizing its financial market, saying it supports mutual investment between Chinese and Spanish companies as well as their joint exploration of the third market such as in Latin America, the vice foreign minister said.

Germany expressed the will to deepen cooperation with China in automobiles, new energy and environmental protection. It also invited China to be the partner country of the Hannover Fair 2012, the world's largest industrial fair.

Meanwhile, British leaders said that Britain wished to intensify cooperation with China in such areas as infrastructure construction, high-end manufacture, renewable energy and financial services, Fu added.

BOOSTED HUMANISTIC EXCHANGES

Hailing their respective long historical and cultural traditions, Li said China and the three countries have great potential in humanistic exchanges, which is a constructive factor for boosting mutually beneficial cooperation.

He also urged the two sides to continue intensifying humanistic exchanges and further consolidate the basis of public opinions of their relations.

In Spain, Li said China will encourage more of its citizens to visit Spain as tourists. He also hoped for a stronger cultural connection between the two countries via such programs as China-Spain Forum, Cervantes Institutes and Confucius Institutes.

In Germany, he wished a success for such activities as the "Art of Enlightenment" exhibition in China and the "Year of Chinese Culture" in Germany.

During his stay in Britain, Li hoped that mutual understanding be further enhanced between the two peoples, using the opportunities of marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations next year, as well as the 2012 London Olympic Games.

In return, the three nations said they will encourage personnel exchanges with China and boost mutual understanding. People in the three nations, who have been admiring the Chinese culture, wish to learn more about China's past, present and future, and become boosters of ties with China, Fu quoted the three nations.

INTENSIFIED COMMUNICATION, COORDINATION

During his visit, Li had in-depth talks with leaders of the three countries on such international and regional issues as global economic situation, the Group of 20, the Doha Round of global trade talks, climate change, nuclear issues on the Korean Peninsula and in Iran, anti-terrorism and anti-proliferation.

Li said China's relations with the three nations are no longer bilateral, but also global.

China is willing to further enhance communication and coordination with the three countries in international affairs, with a view of promoting a steady development of China-Europe relations and the peace, stability and development of the world.

The European hosts all praised China's important and positive role in international issues, saying they will continue the consultation and coordination as well as closer multilateral cooperation with China.

CHINA'S ACHIEVEMENTS, CONCEPT OF DEVELOPMENT PROMOTED

During the visit, Li also introduced to Europeans China's major achievements made over the past more than 30 years since the adoption of the policy of reform and opening up in 1978, as well as its strategy for future development, Fu said.

According to Li, China's path of development is a peaceful, cooperative and harmonious one, which conforms global trend and domestic situations.

But China remains a developing country, and has still a long way to go before achieving modernization.

Li said China will stick to the policy of reform and opening up, uphold the principle of "putting people first," speed up economic restructuring, and achieve sustainable development.

All the three countries, meanwhile, held that China's development is a great contribution to the peace and development of the whole world, pledging a further involvement in China's future development.

Relations between China and the three countries and the EU are witnessing a historic opportunity in the new era, Fu said, urging both sides to enhance mutual understanding, deepen pragmatic cooperation and humanistic exchanges.