BEIJING, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- A senior foreign ministry official on Wednesday described Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping's visit to five European countries as one that not only promotes country-to-country relations, but also pushes for cooperation in dealing with the global economic crisis.

Xi paid a visit to Belgium, Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania between Oct. 7 and Oct. 21.

Deputy Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun summed up the significance of the visit to reporters who went on the trip to Europe.

PROMOTING BILATERAL, SINO-EU RELATIONS FOR STEADY, HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT

Zhang said that during talks with leaders of the five European countries, Xi reiterated the willingness and preparedness of the Chinese government and people to further relations with these five countries on the basis of mutual respect, equal treatment and non-interference in each other's internal affairs.

Xi exchanged views with these leaders on the status quo and future of bilateral and Sino-EU relations which China aspires to further develop.

One of the topics raised during Xi's meetings with these leaders was to look further into the future and see where China and these countries could strike cooperation for sustainable development.

He also pointed out areas of cooperation that could bring tangible benefits to people from cooperation in their respective countries.

PROMOTING ECONOMIC COOPERATION IN FACE OF GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS

Zhang said leaders of the five European nations paid much attention to the measures China had adopted to fight the global financial crisis and its effects, and spoke highly of the good momentum of China's economic growth, which would boost global economic recovery.

During his meetings with political and business leaders of the five countries, Xi reiterated China's firm opposition against protectionism and its willingness to jointly tackle the global financial crisis with Europe, calling on countries to strengthen cooperation and expand trade.

Xi attended the signing ceremonies of five economic and trade agreements and six exchange activities with business communities, including economic and trade forums and symposiums with local entrepreneurs. These indicated a great desire for cooperation between Chinese and European businesses.

In addition to the five intergovernmental agreements, Chinese entrepreneurs in the delegation and the business communities of the five European nations signed 93 cooperation agreements and agreements of intent worth 7.4 billion U.S. dollars. These highlighted the great potential and prospects of mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Europe.

PROMOTING CULTURAL EXCHANGES TO ENRICH CHINA-EU RELATIONS

Zhang said to encourage cultural exchanges was the highlight of Xi's visit. During his visit, Xi attended two grand cultural events, the "Europalia- China" art festival in Belgium and the 2009 Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany.

China, being the guest of honor at the two cultural events, actively participated in the activities to introduce traditional Chinese culture and China's great cultural achievements since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Zhang said.

This was another opportunity for China to showcase the splendid, subtle power of the Chinese culture following the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Zhang added.

Xi's presence at the two events indicated that China attached great importance to encouraging cultural exchanges, promoting Chinese culture on the world stage and building soft power, Zhang continued.

While speaking at the opening ceremony of the Frankfurt Book Fair, Xi said China was willing to take part in international cultural exchanges and to work together for building a harmonious world of lasting peace and common prosperity.

Building a harmonious world meant enhancing cultural exchanges among countries across the world and promoting communication among peoples from different cultural backgrounds, Xi said in the speech.

Cultural exchanges needed mutual understanding, respect, and overcoming biases, Xi explained, adding that differences between ideologies, social systems and development models should not become hurdles for cultural exchanges.

Xi added that China was willing to learn from various cultures and civilizations in the world while carrying forward the country's own splendid national culture to further enrich the spirit of the Chinese people.

German media observed that Xi's speech, which won warm applause at the ceremony, reflected China's self-confidence.

Zhang said Xi, who visited a number of institutes related to Chinese culture and bilateral cultural exchanges during his trip, also paid much attention to the future development of China-EU cultural exchanges.

Xi's visit was a great contribution to the development of China-EU relations, bilateral cultural exchanges and mutual understanding, Zhang concluded.