Brussels, 09/07/2012 (Agence Europe) - A third session of the EU/China strategic dialogue and the 19th regional forum of ASEAN are on the High Representative's agenda for this week.
The head of European diplomatic corps, Catherine Ashton, set off on Sunday 8 July for a five-day visit to Asia, starting on Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 July with a visit to Beijing, for the 3rd session of the strategic dialogue between the EU and China, a preparatory meeting for the forthcoming bilateral summit to be held in October in Brussels. Ashton is to meet the Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, his colleague in charge of defence, Luang Guanglie, and the counsellor of state for foreign affairs, Dai Bingguo.
The high representative will then head to Hong Kong on 11 July, where she will discuss relations between the EU and this, one of the two special administrative regions of China, Macao being the other, with its new chief executive, Chun-Ying Leung.
Ashton will then travel to Cambodia on 12 July, where she will take part in the 19th regional forum of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Phnom Penh. She will send a message of support from the EU for the reinforcement of regional integration in South-East Asia. Ashton will finish her Asian tour with a visit to Siem Reap on 13 July to visit projects funded by the EU. (EH/transl.fl)