BEIJING - Europe aims to improve security and defense cooperation with China, especially in the Middle East and in the fight against human trafficking, the European Union’s foreign policy chief said on Tuesday following high-level talks in Beijing.

Federica Mogherini’s two-day visit comes as Beijing launches a diplomatic offensive to move Sino-European relations beyond trade and raise China’s international profile, buoyed by its success winning European participation in a new Asian bank.

Trade is still at the core of the relationship, worth 467 billion euros ($519 billion) last year, but China’s bid to deepen cooperation on world affairs resonates with the EU as it seeks to forge a more unified foreign policy among its 28 member countries.

Mogherini told reporters during a joint appearance with China’s top diplomat, State Councillor Yang Jiechi, that the two discussed “concrete possibilities” of strengthening security and defense ties, pointing to the example of successful anti-piracy cooperation in the Gulf of Aden.

“We also discussed the situation in Iraq and Syria and briefly in Libya, where the European Union and China share common interests and where our joint efforts could make a real difference,” Mogherini said.

She said both sides had reiterated that the conflict in Ukraine can only be solved diplomatically with “full respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty”. (Reuters)