President Xi to make EU trip 'very soon'

President Xi Jinping will pay a "historic" visit to the European Union headquarters in Brussels soon — the first by a Chinese president, with diplomats saying it offers a chance for both sides to boost ties.

State Councilor Yang Jiechi and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton announced the visit at a news conference after their two-hour High-level Strategic Dialogue meeting in Brussels on Monday.

"Very soon, President Xi Jinping will visit EU headquarters and I think this visit will give a strong boost to our relationship," said Yang, who is on a trip to the EU, Belgium and Germany.

Ashton said the upcoming visit is of great significance and historic meaning in boosting bilateral relations and upgrading political trust among the two major economic and trade partners.

Neither Yang or Ashton disclosed dates for the visit.

Yang's visit to Brussels is the third high-level exchange between the two sides in recent months, following the China-EU economic and trade dialogue in October and the China-EU summit in November.