(Photo: CGTN）

China on Tuesday issued a policy paper to define its EU policy objectives in the new era and enhance dialogue and consultation with the bloc, Chinese foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

Developing a sound relationship with the EU has long been a foreign policy priority for China, spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a daily news briefing.

The year 2018 marks the 15th anniversary of the China-EU Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the 20th anniversary of the China-EU Summit.

We would like to deepen the China-EU Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the new era and promote greater development of China-EU relations, Hua added.

The paper includes the guiding principles of China-EU relations, cooperation in political, security and defense fields, cooperation in trade, investment, connectivity, fiscal and financial fields, cooperation in scientific research, innovation, emerging industries,  sustainable development,  social and people-to-people cooperation.

On the relations with the bloc, China proposes in the paper that the two sides view their relationship from a strategic and long-term perspective and adhere to the following principles in developing China-EU relations.

On political cooperation, China will fully leverage the China-EU High-Level Strategic Dialogue as a major platform to deepen strategic communication and coordination, build strategic consensus and deepen mutual trust.

On trade and investment cooperation, China is willing to make joint efforts with a positive and pragmatic attitude to reach a win-win bilateral investment treaty, and launch a joint feasibility study on China-EU Free Trade Area at an early date to build a sound institutional framework for upgrading the economic and trade cooperation.

The paper also stressed to make good use of the China-EU Science and Technology Cooperation Joint Steering Committee, the Innovation Cooperation Dialogue and the Co-funding Mechanism for Research and Innovation under the framework of the China-EU Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement, work out a roadmap for cooperation on scientific research and innovation, and conduct comprehensive cooperation in frontier disciplines, basic research and major social challenges.

On people-to-people cooperation, China will fully leverage the coordinating role of the High-level People-to-People Dialogue and continue to explore new fields, models and approaches of exchanges and cooperation. Facilitate personnel flows, and actively work toward the goals in the second phase of the roadmap of the China-EU Mobility and Migration Dialogue.