Zeng Peiyan (4th L), chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE), and European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen (1st L) attend the 2nd EU-China CEO and Former Senior Officials' Dialogue in Brussels, Belgium, on Nov. 30, 2018. After a two-day closed-door meeting here, over 30 European and Chinese business leaders and former senior officials on Friday called for open, balanced, and inclusive multilateralism as well as rule-based trade and investment. (Xinhua/Ye Pingfan)

BRUSSELS, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- After a two-day closed-door meeting here, over 30 European and Chinese business leaders and former senior officials on Friday called for open, balanced, and inclusive multilateralism as well as rule-based trade and investment.

Headed by Zeng Peiyan, chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE), the Chinese delegates met with their counterparts attending the 2nd EU-China CEO and Former Senior Officials' Dialogue starting on Thursday, which was also attended by European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen.

According to a joint statement, both parties believed that the WTO plays a necessary role in helping enterprises access resources and provide products and services in a fair and competitive manner around the globe.

They insisted that strengthening cooperation between Europe and China in World Trade Organization (WTO) reform is important.

Chinese representatives stressed that WTO reform does not mean reinventing the wheel, adding that it should uphold the core values and underlying principles of the multilateral trading system, push for worldwide trade liberalization and investment facilitation, and ensure special and differentiated treatment for developing members.

The European side reiterated that it will oppose protectionism and unilateralism and is willing to work with China to push for WTO reform.

Moreover, both parties agreed that China and the European Union (EU) have greater potential in developing win-win relationships with complementary advantages in trade and investment, industrial bilateral cooperation and cooperation in third-party market, as well as global governance, particularly on climate change.

In this context, the European and Chinese business leaders and former senior officials called for the accomplishment of the ambitious China-EU bilateral investment treaty negotiations.

Both parties supported the stance of strengthening the link between Asia and Europe, encouraging the integration of the Eurasian interconnection strategy with the Belt and Road Initiative, and augment China-EU cross-border infrastructure cooperation.

They also agreed to enhance bilateral win-win cooperation in research and innovation, to ensure fair channels for investment or joint investment, and to respect intellectual property rights.

Hosted by BusinessEurope and CCIEE, EU-China CEO and Former Senior Officials' Dialogue, an annual event alternated between China and Europe, is committed to advancing the development of China-EU economic and trade relations.