Hamburg, Nov 29 (IANS): China is willing to join hands with Europe to fully tap the potential of mutually beneficial cooperation, a Chinese official said Wednesday.

Chinese Science and Technology Minister Wan Gang told a Hamburg summit that the relationship between China and Europe has become one of the most important in the world, Xinhua reported.

"The economic and trade cooperation between the two sides has brought substantive benefits to both parties," said Wan, who is also vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee.

Wan told the meeting that the international financial crisis and European debt crisis have deepened the inter-dependence of Chinese and European economies, adding that the the cooperation has played a positive role in uplifting the gloomy world economy.

Wan said the recently closed 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China has charted a course for the future development of China and set an ambitious goal of building a well-off society in all aspects in China by 2020, Wan said.

He stressed that China and Europe should deepen the cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, science and technology, which is mutually beneficial.

Founded in 2004, the biennially-held Hamburg summit has become an important dialogue platform for the economic cooperation between China and Europe.