EU leaders say China's success of core interest to Europe

China's success came in accordance with Europe's core interest, said Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European Council on Friday.

The European Union (EU) should "take a step back and look at the long term" development in the relationship with China, said Van Rompuy at a press conference following the EU summit jointly with Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission.

"I debriefed the European Council on the recent Summit held in September with China," he said. "In a long term's perspective, it is in Europe's core interest that China succeeds," he added.

Van Rompuy said the EU would come back to the issue early next spring to best prepare for the next EU-China summit which will take place in China in Autumn 2013.

Read more: China's success of core interest to Europe: EU leaders - People's Daily Online