In lieu of strengthening the bond between China and the European Commission (EC), the latter will be establishing a research and innovation center in Beijing. The EC will invest 3 million euros into what will be the first EC-funded center in mainland China that will focus on research and development. 

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The new European Research and Innovation Center of Excellence serves as a huge step to the EU-China scientific and technological ties. Apart from its main headquarters in Beijing, it will also have smaller offices in different cities in China. 

"The aim is to establish a center here in China that can help European researchers on the first step toward the Chinese market, help them connect with Chinese companies, and at the same time, enable Chinese researchers to interact better with the European side," said Sara Medina, board member of SPI, a Portuguese company that promotes cooperation between the EU and China. 

The new establishment will organize networking events for Chinese and EU researchers as well as help EU countries enter China for research and development. The project will start construction in January 2017 and is expected to be operational in 2019. 

EU-China relations recently took a hit when EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger, in a speech in front of world business leaders in Hamburg, called the Chinese "slit-eyes" and mocked the Chinese businessmen in the audience for wearing "single-breasted dark-blue jackets, all with their hair brushed from left to right with black shoe polish." 

Oettinger has apologized after China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the speech. 

TagsEU-China, EU-China relationship, Gunther Oettinger, European Commissino