negotiations on the Articles of Agreement for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and looks forward to a close cooperation of the EU with the AIIB in the future; regrets the lack of profound debate and close coordination at EU level regarding Member States’ membership of the AIIB; stresses the importance of trade and investment policy, as the most obvious area to exert maximum leverage in the strategic relationship with China; takes note of the recently developed cooperation between China and Central and Eastern European countries, also known as the 16+1 group, which includes several EU Member States, but considers that this should not divide the EU or weaken its position vis-à-vis China and should also address human rights issues; calls on the European External Action Service and the Commission to submit an annual report to Parliament on the development of EU-China relations; calls for the strengthening of enforceable, rules-based trade and investment with China; 4. Recognises that China should play a stronger role in multilateral financial institutions that better reflects the size of its economy; considers the recently founded AIIB to be an opportunity for China to engage as a responsible actor in the multilateral order; encourages the new institution to depart from the past mistakes of privileging the financing of grandiose infrastructure projects and to prioritise instead technical assistance and access to global knowledge, while balancing environmental, social, and development priorities; 5. Considers it of vital importance that the European contribution to the participation in the AIIB should include: transparent procedures for the assessment of loans; clear standards relating to good governance, social responsibility and the environment; and concern to ensure that the debt burden remains controllable for borrowing countries; 6. Welcomes the participation of several Member States in the AIIB; deplores nonetheless the lack of profound debate, close coordination and coordinated response and approach at EU level in reaction to the initiatives launched by the Chinese Government to build up new multilateral institutions; urges the EU institutions and Member States to see this as a wake-up call in order to avoid a similar lack of coordination in the future; 7. Welcomes the political agreement to improve strategic infrastructure links between the EU and China; welcomes, therefore, the decision to establish a new Connectivity Platform with the aim of creating a favourable environment for sustainable and interoperable cross-border infrastructure networks in countries and regions between the EU and China; particularly commends the EU’s readiness to start this project on the European level; urges both parties to seize the opportunities given by closely interconnecting both partners, including cooperation on infrastructure investment in countries along the route of the New Silk Road and the New Maritime Silk Road; 8. Highlights the vigorous growth of the Chinese economy in the last twenty years and underlines that EU Member States should take greater advantage of the opportunities offered by this economic development; notes the Chinese interest in strategic infrastructure investments in Europe, and underlines the need to cooperate with China and other countries in the region in this respect on projects such as China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the EU’s Juncker Investment Plan, including rail links, seaports and airports; urges the VP/HR and the Commission to reflect on the impact of China’s global investment policy, as well as its investment activities in the EU and its Eastern Neighbourhood; emphasises, in accordance with the previously adopted positions of Parliament and in full respect of INTA competences, the importance of the Bilateral Investment Agreement between the EU and China currently under negotiation; calls for