HAMBURG, Germany - China is willing to join hands with Europe to fully tap the potential of mutually beneficial cooperation and push the relationship between the two sides to a new level, a senior Chinese official said Wednesday.

Wan Gang, representative of Chinese government and also the country's minister of science and technology, told the Hamburg summit that the relationship between China and Europe has become one of the most important in the world.

"The economic and trade cooperation between the two sides has brought substantive benefits to both parties," said Wan, who is also vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee.

Wan told the meeting that the international financial crisis and European debt crisis have deepened the inter-dependence of Chinese and European economies, adding that the the cooperation has played a positive role in uplifting the gloomy world economy.

Wan said the recently closed 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China?has charted a course for the future development of China and set an ambitious goal of building a well-off society in all aspects in China by 2020, Wan said.

"The industrialization, informatization, urbanization and agricultural modernization in China have provided broader rooms for future development of China and its cooperation with foreign countries," he said, adding that China will unswervingly uphold and deepen the policy of opening-up and reform.

He stressed that China and Europe should deepen the cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, science and technology, which is mutually beneficial.

"The friendship between China and Europe shall continue on the basis of respect for each other, candid and close communications. China and Europe will continue to be friends who seek common ground while reserving differences," he appealed.

Founded in 2004, the biennially-held Hamburg summit has become an important dialogue platform for the economic cooperation between China and Europe.

Before the opening ceremony, Wan met Annette Schavan, minister of education and research of Germany, and exchanged views on the promotion of friendly cooperation between China and Germany.

Schavan said the strategic partnership between Germany and China carries important significance. The government consultation mechanism has reflected the depth and breadth of the cooperation between the two countries, she said.

As two major economies and big trading countries, Germany and China should intensify the cooperation and coordination and confront global challenges such as energy, climate change and water resources, Schavan said.