AFP reported on April 30: "The European Parliament announced on Wednesday (April 30) that China has decided to lift the sanctions imposed on five members of the European Parliament since 2021. The European Parliament issued a statement on Wednesday welcoming this move, calling Beijing's action an important step towards restarting parliamentary-level dialogue between Europe and China." In 2021, in response to the EU's sanctions against Chinese officials over the Xinjiang issue, China imposed sanctions on five members of the European Parliament and their families, prohibiting them from entering China. China and the EU are expected to hold a symbolic summit in July this year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their establishment of diplomatic relations. A few comments: This move by China sends out positive and clear signals, demonstrating goodwill in developing EU-China relations. From a practical perspective, as two of the world's major economies, China and the EU have strong complementarity in their economies. In 2024, the bilateral trade volume between China and the EU exceeded $500 billion, making it one of the largest bilateral trade relationships in the world, with each being an important trading partner of the other. Lifting the sanctions helps further consolidate the foundation of economic and trade cooperation between China and the EU, promote trade liberalization and investment facilitation, and push for new heights in their cooperation in emerging fields such as green energy, smart manufacturing, and digital economy. China and the EU have extensive common interests and similar positions in international affairs, both supporting multipolarity in the world and advocating multilateralism. Unlike the US and China, they do not have fundamental geopolitical contradictions. China and the EU have broad cooperation space in addressing global challenges such as climate change, global public health crises, and regional hotspot issues. Lifting the sanctions is conducive to restoring and deepening dialogue and cooperation in all fields between China and the EU, enhancing strategic mutual trust between the two sides, and injecting stability and positive energy into world peace and development. China and the EU are expected to hold a symbolic summit in July this year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. At this critical juncture, lifting the sanctions undoubtedly injects a shot in the arm for the development of China-EU relations, creates a favorable atmosphere for the successful holding of the summit, and lays a solid foundation for cooperation between China and the EU in the next 50 years.

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