Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said on Friday that China remains confident in Europe and believes that it can be a trustworthy partner, adding that the two sides can solve pending issues properly.

Wang made the remarks at a press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing session of the national legislature.

Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, Wang said in the half-century-long relationship, the most valuable asset is mutual respect, the most powerful impetus is mutual benefit, the greatest unifying consensus is multilateralism, and the most accurate characterization is partnership.

Wang said that in the past five decades, China-EU trade has expanded from 2.4 billion U.S. dollars to 780 billion U.S. dollars. Investment has increased from almost zero to close to 260 billion U.S. dollars. China-Europe Railway Express has run more than 100,000 cargo trips and become a golden passage connecting Asia and Europe.

"Fifty years on, China and the EU jointly make up over one-third of the world economy, and the cooperation between the two has a greater strategic value and global influence," Wang said, adding that a healthy and stable relationship will lift up both sides and make for a brighter world.

"The two sides have the capacity and wisdom to properly resolve pending issues through friendly consultation and jointly usher in another promising 50 years," added Wang.