China and the EU will explore the establishment of a China-EU green partnership and carry out cooperation in the digital sector as part of key agendas for this year, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday.

He made the remarks while jointly meeting the press with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas after the fifth round of China-Germany strategic dialogue on diplomacy and security in Berlin.

Now the China-EU relationship is faced with new opportunities for development, and the two sides have agreed on a series of key political agendas for this year, Wang said.

He said the two sides have agreed to strive to finish negotiations on a China-EU investment agreement and initiate feasibility studies on a free trade deal.

China and the EU will also make a five-year plan for their cooperation and push forward the synergy of the Belt and Road Initiative with the EU’s Eurasia connectivity strategy and carry out cooperation in third-party markets, Wang said.

The State Councilor said as the world’s two major forces, China and the EU stand ready to work together to uphold multilateralism, safeguard free trade, fight against protectionism and all kinds of unilateralism.

The two sides will join hands in addressing all kinds of global challenges and improve global governance in order to provide more positive energy for world peace and stability, he added.