Brussels, 15/07/2013 (Agence Europe) - Sustainable development and clean technology will be the focus of talks between the two commissioners and the Chinese government.
After travelling to Latin America, the USA, North Africa and Russia, the mission for growth this time leads European Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship Antonio Tajani to China. Accompanied by his colleague, European Commissioner for the Environment Janez Potocnik, and a delegation of around 50 representatives from European industrial and professional associations and companies, Tajani will promote industrial cooperation on sustainable growth on 18-19 July in Beijing.
The overall objective of the trip is to promote the potential of advanced technologies and European products and services for environmental sustainability, renewable energy and energy efficiency. This is at a time when the authorities and Chinese companies are increasingly looking for technology or business partners or to meet the challenges of air quality, emission or energy security, states the European Commission in a press release.
Tajani and Potocnik will assess, together with the chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission in China, Xu Shaoshi, how to step up cooperation on green growth. Green growth has already formed the subject of debate as part of specific working group set up in 2010 between the Commission and the Chinese Ministry of Industry. The working group focused on three areas of collaboration - sector-based energy efficiency actions in industry, product policy (notably eco-design) and sustainable industrial policy. Green growth is on the agenda for the next bilateral EU-China summit.
Alongside these discussions, a matchmaking event with local entrepreneurs operating in air quality, water quality, waste, energy efficient and environmentally friendly technologies will take place in Beijing on 19 July.
Tajani is also due to hold talks with the Chinese minister for science and technology, Wan Gang, on cooperation in the field of space and on the subject of clusters. In addition, Tajani will meet the Chinese minister for industry, Miao Wei, and the minister responsible for administration for quality supervision, inspection and quarantine, Zhi Shuping, with whom he will sign commitments to strengthen cooperation on normalisation, on the basis of the existing mechanism for dialogue, such as the CESIP platform, created in October 2012. Lastly, Tajani is due to sign a statement on tourism with the Chinese authorities, to strengthen bilateral tourist flows. (EH/transl.fl)