China proves a reliable partner of Europe

The European Union (EU) hosted the much-postponed 11th round of the China-EU Summit in the Czech Republic capital of Prague last Wednesday.

As the highest official consultative mechanism, the annual summit has been held alternatively in an European country and China. The Prague round was scheduled to be held in December, but had to be put off - for the first time in the 11-year history of the this engagement - due to French President Nicolas Sarkozy's meeting with the Dalai Lama in defiance of Beijing's opposition.

The fact that Premier Wen Jiabao have traveled 20 hours to and from the Czech capital for a two-hour gathering bears eloquent testimony to how much China cherishes its hard-won friendship with the EU; and its aspirations to work together with the EU to steer the relationship to a higher level steadily without the occasional hiccup. At the same time, the engagement is also an indication of China's sense of responsibility as an emerging power.