by Xinhua writer Guo Yage

BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua) -- The European Parliament (EP) approved Thursday a motion in support of the protests in Hong Kong, a move that does nothing useful for the bilateral relationship between the European Union (EU) and China.

By calling on the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to withdraw its extradition bill and drop all charges against the protesters, the EP has interfered in China's domestic affairs, arrogantly pointing its finger at the law-based governance of the HKSAR government.

The motion ignores how the people of Hong Kong have strongly condemned the violence and flooded the city's streets in pro-police rallies. It turns a blind eye to the appalling violence committed by the rioters, who have hurt not only civilians but also police personnel with sharpened iron poles, bricks, wooden planks and rail barriers.

The motion also ignored one simple fact: since the return of Hong Kong to the motherland in 1997, China's central government in strict accordance with the constitution and the Basic Law has faithfully implemented the principle of "one country, two systems." Furthermore, China's central government has abided by the principle of "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" while ensuring a high degree of autonomy for the HKSAR.

The legislative branch of the EU elected a new leadership early this month, as did other EU institutions. The EU bodies, under new leaderships, should maintain the momentum of developing China-EU relations.

China regards the EU as a strategic partner of cooperation and strives for building a partnership based on peace and growth.

During a visit to Europe in March, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China and Europe share far more in common than their differences would suggest, urging both sides to take the lead in upholding peace, development and win-win cooperation.

China has long been a firm supporter of European integration, in expectation of the bloc's lasting solidarity, stability, openness and prosperity. The EU needs to meet China halfway.

On trade, the EU is China's largest trading partner while the Asian country is the bloc's second largest trading partner. In addition, China-EU cooperation has yielded impeccable results in a wide range of areas, including finance, research and innovation, and people-to-people exchanges.

The two sides also share the belief of upholding multilateralism, reforming global governance and supporting each other on various issues including climate change.

The EU, especially the new EP leadership, should quit its prejudices and work to maintain sound relations with China. Only then can China and the EU embrace a brighter future together.