On Wednesday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said that he is confident that the European Union will continue to prosper, calling for a united Europe despite the impact of Brexit and the rise of nationalism in the region.
While speaking to the media in his annual news conference after the annual meeting of the Chinese parliament, Li said that China will support European integration.
"I am optimistic about the prospects of the European Union, and we are optimistic about the development prospects for China-EU relations," he said.
In February, European Council President Donald Tusk warned that with Brexit and nationalism in the region, the EU is faced with the biggest challenge yet in its 60-year history, adding the challenges brought by China, Russia and US under Donald Trump.
The Trump administration has stirred concern in Europe due to doubts about NATO and countering Russia in Ukraine, as well as over free trade.
Trump has also triggered concerns in China after he criticized the trade practices of China and his threats to impose tariff on Chinese imports.
Li said China did not want to see a trade war with the U.S.
While acknowledging that trade ties between China and the EU have been strained in recent years over steel, Li said that China and the EU had experience at "appropriately resolving" disputes.
