By Anadolu staff
ANKARA (AA) – Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo on Thursday arrived in China on a two-day official visit at the invitation of Premier Li Qiang, state-run media reported.
The first European leader to visit China this year, De Croo will hold bilateral talks with Chinese Premier Li and is also expected to meet President Xi Jinping.
He is also the first prime minister of Belgium to visit China in eight years, according to Global Times.
In December, European Council President Charles Michel and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen also visited Beijing for the 24th China-EU summit and also met Chinese leaders.
“De Croo's visit is seen as a continuation of the frequent high-level interactions between China and the EU from the previous year and also marks the beginning of a series of new exchanges in the new year, with hopes for expanded cooperation and the resolution of frictions between China and the EU,” Global Times reported.
*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid