Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Sunday that China is committed to advancing China-Eureopan Union (EU) relations which is not an expediency but a long-term strategic policy.

"China-EU relations are now at a new historical starting point with broad space for further growth. It should be our shared objective to push forward the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership and step up all-dimensional cooperation," Wen said in a speech at the Greek parliament.

CHINA SUPPORTS STABLE EURO

Wen said that China supports a stable euro and is ready to strengthen cooperation with the EU.

"China will not reduce its euro-bond holdings and China supports a stable euro," Wen said.

After some European countries suffered sovereign debt crisis earlier this year, Wen said, the Chinese government announced many times that Beijing firmly supports the measures adopted by the EU and the International Monetary Fund.

Wen said, thanks to joint efforts China-EU trade has already exceeded the pre-crisis level.

Politically, Wen said, "China-EU relations have made three big leaps forward: from constructive partnership to comprehensive partnership and then to comprehensive strategic partnership."

Economically, he said, the EU has been China's largest trading partner for six consecutive years, while China has risen to be the EU's second largest trading partner.

Culturally, Wen said, China has signed numerous cultural exchange agreements with many EU countries and the impact of cultural exchanges, both bilateral and multilateral is far-reaching. "Nearly 200,000 Chinese students are now studying in Europe and each year over 1 million Chinese tourists come to visit Europe," he said.

"China-EU relations have reached unprecedented breadth and depth and the two sides have become indispensable partners in each other's development endeavor," the premier said.

The steady development of China-EU relations, Wen said, boosts friendliness between the Chinese and European peoples and also brings practical benefits to both sides.

Committed to a win-win strategy of opening-up, Wen said, China will further improve its investment environment, better protect intellectual property, expand trade and investment with Europe and raise the level of technological cooperation.

China hopes the EU recognizes "China's full market economy status as soon as possible, eases restrictions on high-tech exports to China and rejects trade protectionism so as to foster an environment conducive to the healthy growth of our trade," the premier said.

CHINA REMAINS DEVELOPING NATION

Premier Wen said that China remains a developing nation despite great changes over the past three decades.

"Although China's total GDP and external trade are among the largest in the world, the basic reality about China -- a populous country with a weak economic foundation and uneven development -- has not changed," Wen said.

China's per-capita GDP is only one eighth of Greece's, the number of poor people in China is more than three times that of Greece's entire population and the vast countryside and interior are still underdeveloped, he said.

China still has a long way to go to completely change its backwardness, he said, adding that China needs a peaceful and stable external environment and closer cooperation with other countries.

China will remain on the path of peaceful development, endeavor to foster a peaceful international environment for its own development and at the same time contribute to world peace through its own development, Wen said, adding that China's increasing prosperity will bring benefits to the whole world.