China, EU should learn from each other in urbanization

China and European countries have much to learn from each other in terms of urbanization policies, technologies and experience, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Huang Yan, vice-minister of housing and urban development, said that China's urbanization rate has jumped over the last 50 years from less than 30 percent to almost 60 percent, with millions of farmers migrating to cities.

"During the period, China has accumulated much experience and learned many lessons," she said.

Huang noted that European countries boast long histories of urbanization, and have in place many practices that China is eager to learn, especially policies on green, effective and sustainable urbanization.

Both China and EU countries face the challenges of tackling global warming, natural disasters and developing clean energies, she said.

"The task cannot be accomplished by a single country or region. Instead we need to unite as one to reinforce sustainable development," she said.

Huang was speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2018 China-EU Conference on Sustainable Urbanization in Beijing. It was the second conference of its kind since the inaugural event was held last year.

With a theme of Digital Xiong'an, Empowering the Future, the one-day event aimed to continue the work of the EU-China Urbanization Partnership, which was agreed in May, 2012.

The Xiong'an New Area was launched in April last year by the central leadership as part of the effort to integrate the economy of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and ease congestion and pollution pressures in the Chinese capital.