SUZHOU, April 23 -- Li Jinjun, vice-minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC), held breakfast meeting today with leaders of the European center-left parties who were attending the Fourth China-Europe High-Level Political Parties Forum, including Philip Cordery, representative of the Socialist Party of France, Trinidad Jimenez, secretary for social affairs of the Socialist Workers' Party of Spain accompanied by Laura Ballarin, advisor of the International Department of the Socialist Workers' Party of Spain, Gilles Mahieu, secretary-general of the francophone Socialist Party of Belgium, Bruno Tuybens, representative of the Dutch-speaking Socialist Party of Belgium, Renate Csoergits, vice-chairperson of the parliamentary group of the Social Democratic Party under the National Council of Austria, Antonio Ramos Preto, chair of the National Discipline Committee of the Socialist Party of Portugal and Michel Thauvin, vice-president of Jean-Jaures Foundation of France.

Li briefed the European participants on the previous forums. He thanked the European parties for their active participation in and positive contribution to the success of the previous forums. He stressed that China and Europe can build a China-Europe community of common destiny as the two sides are faced with common challenges and share common interests. He pointed out that political parties play a leading role in the political life of China and Europe and in China-Europe relations. Chinese and European political parties should consider how to make use of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Europe to effectively manage conflicts and bring benefits to the peoples of China and Europe.

The European side stressed that the European socialist parties attach great importance to their relations with the CPC. They spoke highly of the important role of the Forum in the political dialogues between China and Europe and supported the idea of "sticking together in time of difficulty" proposed by the Chinese leader in the opening ceremony of the Fourth China-Europe High-Level Political Parties Forum. And they underlined that given the current situation, China and Europe should strengthen cooperation to face up to challenges.

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