The second round of China-European Union strategic dialogue was held here on Thursday with the two sides having exchanged views on a wide range of issues.

Speaking to reporters after the dialogue, Dai Bingguo, State Councilor of China, said the latest China-EU dialogue were " comprehensive, productive and candid."

Attaching great importance to Sino-EU relations, Dai said that both China and the EU are important forces in the world affairs. " It is very much necessary for China and the EU to have discussions and communication," he said.

Dai expressed hope that the further cooperation between the two sides will become an example in the field of international cooperation.

Catherine Ashton, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, who co-chaired the China-EU strategic dialogue, spoke highly of China's role in world affairs.

"China and Europe are key players in international relations and China's emergence on the global stage is extremely impressive, " she said, noting that "the Strategic Dialogue is an essential part of the post-Lisbon relationship between the EU and China."

It "has enabled us to address systematically several key global issues that are of importance for both of us," she said.

"We reviewed our bilateral relations, and looked at the EU 2020 Strategy and China's Five-Year Plan, ... We are determined to start real cooperation projects on issues such as sustainable urbanization."

The third round of China-EU strategic dialogue is scheduled to be held in China, according to the high-ranking Chinese official.

The first round of the China-EU dialogue was held in southwest China's Guizhou province last September.