China and the European Union (EU) will hold their third High-Level Economic and Trade Dialogue (HED) in Beijing on Dec. 21, announced Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu here Thursday.

The dialogue will be co-chaired by Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan and three senior officials of the European Commission, including Vice President of the European Commission and European Union Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia, European Union Economics and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn and European Union Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht, she said.

The HED was agreed on by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso at the 10th China-EU summit in November 2007.

The annual high level dialogue aims to complement and reinforce ministerial-level China-EU dialogues.