02/10/23 (Agence Europe) – During the first high-level dialogue between the European Commissioner for the Environment, Virginijus Sinkevičius, and the Vice-Chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission, Zhao Chenxin, last week in Beijing, the European Union and China agreed to strengthen their cooperation on the circular economy. According to the European Commission’s Environment department, the two parties will be finalising a roadmap for deployment starting in 2024. This bilateral cooperation would benefit from EU funding for technical assistance and support for best practice. This financing project, which is currently being drawn up, would be implemented over three years. The two parties have also undertaken to step up political dialogue on water, and to exchange knowledge and best practices on water reuse, flood risks and drought management. (AN)