On April 21, 2026, the Mission of China to the EU held the second event of the “China Briefing” series in Brussels. Ma Jiantang, Member of the Standing Committee of the 14th Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Vice Chairman of the Committee of Economic Affairs, was invited to deliver a keynote lecture on “China’s High-Quality Development and China–EU Economic and Trade Cooperation.” Wu Hongbo, former Special Representative of the Chinese Government on European Affairs attended together with other members of the expert delegation. Ambassador Cai Run, Head of the Mission of China to the EU, presided over the event. More than 150 participants were present, including officials from EU institutions such as the Council of the EU, the European Commission, the European External Action Service, the European Parliament, and the European Economic and Social Committee, as well as think tank scholars, media representatives, and diplomatic envoys to the EU.

Vice Chairman Ma Jiantang provided an in-depth overview of the guiding principles of China’s “Two Sessions,” comprehensively explained the significance of formulating and implementing Five-Year Plans for China’s governance, and offered a detailed interpretation of the blueprint for advancing Chinese modernization during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. He also elaborated on the broad opportunities created by China’s pursuit of high-quality development and high-standard opening-up for China–EU economic and trade cooperation.

Vice Chariman Ma Jiantang, Ambassador Wu Hongbo, and Professor Jin Li, CPPCC member and Vice President of Southern University of Science and Technology, answered questions from European participants.

Ambassador Cai Run noted that the “China Briefing” Series is a platform established by the Mission of China to the EU to help European counterparts gain a better understanding of China and China–EU relations. China stands ready to enhance mutual understanding and promote mutual learning with the European side.

The event featured a lively atmosphere with active and in-depth exchanges. Participants spoke highly of the event, noting that it enhanced their understanding of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, strengthened their confidence in China’s economic prospects, and expressing their expectation that both sides will seize cooperation opportunities to promote the sound and steady development of China–EU economic and trade relations.