Participants attend the 17th Meeting of China-EU Round Table between China Economic and Social Council (CESC) and European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Shanghai, east China, July 11, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]

The 17th Meeting of the China-EU Round Table was held in Shanghai on July 11. 

The two-day meeting, jointly organized by the China Economic and Social Council and the European Economic and Social Committee, focused on two major topics: big data and the digital economy, and sustainable development and climate change. 

Du Qinglin, chairman of the China Economic and Social Council, and Luca Jahier, president of the European Economic and Social Committee, attended and addressed the meeting. 

As unilateralism and protectionism have seriously impacted the international economic order, the current international situation is facing profound and complex changes, according to Du, and China and the EU should work together to deal with the situation. 

He pointed out that China and the EU should adhere to a spirit of openness and inclusiveness, and seek mutual benefits and win-win results. They should promote high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative and sustainable development projects, as well as safeguarding multilateralism and improving global governance. 

Jahier said that in recent years, the EU-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership has continued to deepen. Under the background of the meeting between EU and China leaders in April this year and the release of a joint statement, the round table will continue to work for government departments on both sides to push EU-China relations to a new level. 

The round table meeting mechanism was launched in 2007.