UK visit showcases EU-China ties

Strengthening the economic relations between the European Union and China is more important than ever at a time when the Chinese economy is slowing down and some EU members are struggling with austerity.

With Chinese President Xi Jinping visiting the UK, the UK government has talked about the start of a golden era in relations between the two countries. A variety of business deals totaling around 40 billion pounds ($62 billion) were signed between the two sides on Wednesday giving substance to those words. In fact, a recent report released by the Center for Economic and Business Research estimates that over 105 billion pounds of Chinese investments will flow into UK infrastructure - mainly transportation and nuclear energy - and real estate between now and 2025.

At the same time, the successive state visits of Xi to other European countries - last year he spent a total of 11 days in the Netherlands, France, Germany and Belgium - reflect the strategic position that the EU is playing in China's foreign and economic policy.