BRATISLAVA: Europe and China have common interests in several areas, such as climate, trade and technology, and the cooperation between the European Union and China is vital, a Slovakian economic expert told Xinhua in a recent interview. Juraj Sipko, former head of the Institute of Economic Research at the Slovak Academy of Sciences, said the world is currently facing three systemic shocks: climate change, the after-effects of the coronavirus pandemic and numerous conflicts. The combined results of these shocks have led to geo-economic blocks and global fragmentation. Register to read this story and more for free . Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. OR See our subscription options.