China-EU sign raft of urban deals

Entrepreneurs and officials signed 12 agreements and memorandums of understanding on urban development on Wednesday during a high-level meeting between China and the European Union, held in Beijing.

Documents signed cover a wide range of sustainable urban development issues, including environmental protection, low carbon development and agricultural innovation.

The documents signed provide more possibilities and opportunities for trade and investment between the two parties, according to Xu Shaoshi, head of the National Development and Reform Commission.

Li Tie, director of the commission's China Centre for Urban Development, said European countries were able to offer many advanced technologies to help China's modernization and urbanization progress.

In the meantime, European companies are eyeing vast opportunities and markets in China, according to Marten Bjork, chairman of Pacific Energy, a Sweden-based clean energy solution provider.

"Chinese investors have growing interest in technology firms based in Europe in recent years, and we are looking forward to enhance cooperation with Chinese government and companies," said Bjork, "what we are aiming for is win-win results."

The company signed the framework for a Sino-Swedish low carbon environment protection technology exhibition and research center cooperation project with the government of Haiyan county, Zhejiang province.

A total of 12 city partnerships and more than 130 joint projects have been forged under the China-EU urbanization partnership since 2012, according to Li.