Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang is currently in Europe to meet with European Union (EU) leaders and discuss trade, investment, environment and other pressing international issues. The premier and his party arrived in Brussels on Sunday, according to Asia One.

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Xinhua reported that Li has met with European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Junker.

Trade relations between the EU and China have grown in the past decade. Last year, the trade between China and the EU was worth more than $600 billion.

The Chinese delegation to the EU is expected to announce the government's commitment to invest in Europe's telecommunication industry. The exact amount has not yet been divulged, but this clearly indicates the growing cooperation between China and Europe, according to Reuters.

Li and EU leaders will are also likely talk about the controversial Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The AIIB is mostly financed by China, and many EU countries have decided to join it despite vocal objections from the United States.

The Chinese delegation have indicated that they may hold a press briefing during the EU meeting, according to a diplomatic source. While such press events are common among EU countries, Chinese leaders usually avoid holding press conferences.

The Chinese government has announced that the country will seek to reduce its carbon emissions. China will also inform the United Nations of its plans decrease the country's carbon footprints, which are said to contribute more than 25 percent of the world's total emissions.

However, there are still some disputes with regards to trade that China and the EU will have to address. The World Trade Organization (WTO) classifies China as a developing economy. Chinese leaders want to change that and wants the country to be reclassified as a market economy. A substantial number of European officials do not agree with them. They still contend that China's economy is tightly controlled and subsidized by the government.

TagsChina-EU relations, EU-China, AIIB, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, Prime Minister Li Keqiang