Trip to Europe elevates relations

Premier Li Keqiang's visits to Switzerland and Germany show the importance that China's new leadership attaches to relations with Europe, observers said.

"Europe and China are indeed more and more dependent on each other for their current and future development," Nicola Casarini, research fellow at the EU Institute for Security Studies, told China Daily.

"The euro crisis and China's slower-than-expected growth should lead the two sides to stress that the two have much to gain by jointly addressing their respective domestic challenges," he added.