China’s Wang Manyu wins the women’s singles title and France’s Félix Lebrun earns the men’s singles title at the award ceremony of the 2026 World Table Tennis Europe Smash Sweden, on August 16, local time in Malmö, Sweden (CHINA TODAY)

As China and Europe enter a new phase in their relationship, the defining question is no longer whether they can manage differences, but rather how they can turn their combined economic weight--representing more than one-third of the global GDP and bilateral trade exceeding US $828 billion in 2025--into a shared source of innovation, stability, and global growth. 

The timing of this edition’s Special Report is significant. Following the 50th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic relations in 2025, and with 2026 marking the launch of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, both sides are navigating through a rapidly changing global landscape shaped by geopolitical tensions, economic fragmentation, and technological transformation. Against this backdrop, cooperation matters more than ever. 

In this collection of articles, readers will explore emerging areas of China-Europe engagement: exchange in talent and education, dialogue on global governance, media and mutual trust, AI and technological cooperation, green transition partnerships, and new efforts to make cultural exchange more tangible and accessible across Europe. 

The golden thread that connects these perspectives is a shared recognition that China-Europe relations are too important to be defined solely by competition or periodic frictions. In an increasingly uncertain world, sustained dialogue, pragmatic cooperation, and mutual learning remain essential to both sides as well as the wider global economy.