Brussels, 13/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - The debt crisis and Chinese involvement in eurozone bail-out funds will be at the heart of discussions at the 14th annual EU-China summit in Beijing on 14 February, stealing the limelight from bilateral jousting over trade and investment.
Though they still pepper bilateral economic relations between the EU and China, who have been strategic partners since 2003, differences over trade and investment will be knocked off top spot on the agenda for the first bilateral summit since 2010, the one scheduled to take place last autumn having to be postponed because of the urgency of the situation in Greece. EU leaders, headed by European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and Commission President José Manuel Barroso, who will be accompanied by Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht, are likely once again to convey the concerns of European business on trade and investment - access to the Chinese market, discriminatory treatment towards European companies in the Chinese economy, particularly with regard to public procurement, raw materials, and intellectual property - while their Chinese hosts are expected to argue for China's being accorded the status of market economy. The euro crisis will be at the centre of discussions, however, with China looking at how, working through the IMF, it can play a greater role in the two bail-out funds - the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) and the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) - to resolve the European debt crisis.
In the section on economic relations, the summit will launch new cooperation projects, including a sustainable urbanisation partnership, a high-level dialogue on exchanges between peoples and reinforcement of energy cooperation, particularly with regard to energy efficiency. Although it is not on the agenda, the emissions trading scheme (ETS) will also be discussed.
Politically, the two sides will try to find agreement on a date for the resumption of their dialogue on human rights, the EU having been critical of a deterioration of the situation in China.
In terms of global challenges, East Asia, Burma/Myanmar, North Korea, Iran, Syria and the Middle East peace process will be at the heart of discussions on regional and international security, global governance, the G20 procedure and tackling climate change. (EH/transl.rt)