British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived in Beijing Monday morning to attend the eighth China-EU summit slated to open later Monday.

He will kick off his visit to China as guest of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Tuesday.

Blair and Manuel Barroso, president of the European Union (EU) Commission, will together attend the Chinese and EU leaders' meeting scheduled on Monday afternoon.

The two sides will exchange views on further development of China-EU all-round strategic partnership, and on international and regional issues of common concern, according to diplomatic sources.

China and the EU will sign a series of agreements on such fields as marine transport, environmental protection and biological diversification, sources said.

Britain, now holding the EU rotating presidency, became China's largest trade partner and third largest investor as an EU member country in 2004.

Source: Xinhua