Brussels, 19/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - The strategic partnership, the eurozone debt crisis, bilateral trade tension and issues of international security will dominate the agenda of the final EU/China summit on Thursday 20th of September, before the reshuffle of the Chinese leadership team.
The 15th annual EU/China summit will precede the new Chinese government in spring next year. It will be, above all, “a consolidation summit”, explained European diplomatic services on Wednesday 19 September. The strategic partnership launched in 2003 will be at the heart of the final venue in Brussels, attended by the president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy and his counterpart at the Commission, José Manuel Barroso, in addition to the Chinese prime minister, Wen Jiabao. The latter is due to leave the Chinese Communist Party leadership this autumn and will cease to be head of the government in March, to make way for a 10 yearly leadership reshuffle in China. Wen is likely to be replaced by the deputy prime minister, Li Keqiang. President Hu Jintao will not be travelling to Brussels and is expected to be succeeded by Vice President Xi Jinping. On Wednesday, Barroso insisted that, “he had played an important role in consolidating ties between the EU and China”. EU leaders are eagerly awaiting further Chinese support for both the European economy, currently suffering from a debt crisis, and a vulnerable euro zone. Wen provided German Chancellor Angela Merkel with assurances during a trip to Beijing at the end of August, that China (which possesses huge currency reserves estimated to be worth $3200 billion) would continue to purchase sovereign debt bonds from European countries on the condition that the risks are fully taken into account.
The forthcoming meeting, however, looks liked taking place in an atmosphere of tension regarding trade matters since the Commission's decision to investigate suspicions regarding the dumping of Chinese solar panel exports and their photovoltaic component parts. There is still the threat of an investigation targeting Chinese subsidies to Chinese telecommunications equipment suppliers, while China has seen its exports to its biggest market decrease by 4.9% from January-August 2012 period. Its imports from Europe, however, have increased by 3.1% over the same period. In July, China expressed its impatience regarding the EU arms embargo and its status as a market economy.
In the diplomatic arena, the two parties will discuss the situation in Syria, Iran, North Korea and the question of tension between China and Japan, which has worsened since the territorial conflict over the Diaoyu islands. The main global questions, the G20 and climate change will also be discussed. (EH/trans/fl)