Gao Feng, spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce, at a press conference in Beijing on Thursday Photo: Li Qiaoyi/GT

China and the EU are now undertaking a legal review, translation and other technical preparations for the China-Europe Comprehensive Investment Agreement （CAI）, Gao Feng, China's commerce ministry spokesman told a regular press conference on Thursday,  for the first time indicating that the agreement is still processing since it was frozen by the EU side in May.

This came in line with a virtual summit held by Chinese President Xi Jinping with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday, calling on China and Europe to expand consensus and cooperation for the two sides to play an important role in tackling the global challenges.

During the summit leaders of the three countries expressed support for the CAI amid rising uncertainty over the wide-ranging and hard-fought agreement and for cooperation in other areas, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

The CAI serves the common interests of both sides and is beneficial to the global economy, said Gao at the press conference.

Relations between China and Europe have been rocky over recent months, with intensifying US interference. In May, the European Parliament voted to freeze the CAI, thus blocking ratification process of the deal, the hard-won result of seven years of negotiations. 

In responding to media question over the frozen discussions on the ratification by the EU side, Gao said in a previous press conference in May that the agreement is mutually beneficial and the freeze does not serve the common interests of the two sides.