A high-level European Union delegation has begun a five-day visit to China aimed at furthering dialogue on trade and human rights.

The president of the European Commission, Jacques Santer, and his deputy Leon Brittan, will hold talks with Chinese economic officials before meeting President Jiang Zemin and the prime minister, Zhu Rongji on Friday.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry told a press briefing that the two sides would be discussing the new European currency, the Euro, which China hoped would promote international financial stability.

The visit is the first by a European Union president for more than ten years, and comes six months after the first EU-China summit held in London in April.