Beijing, 23/05/2001 (Agence Europe) - As we announced (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.9) the EU/China then EU/Indonesia ministerial sessions will be held in Beijing on Thursday, on the fringe of the meeting, Friday, between EU Foreign Ministers and their Asian counterparts of Asem (seven Asean countries, plus China, Japan and Korea). On the agenda, respectively: rapprochement between the EU and China, political situation in Indonesia and rationalization of the dialogue within Asem.
The EU Troika, of which Commissioner Chris Patten, the High Representative for Cfsp, Javier Solana, Council President Anna Lindh and her successor Louis Michel are part, will attempt to lay down concrete actions and adopt joint declarations - which is a first, proposed by the Union, which seems to be in Beijing's good books, illustrated by the recent leap forward registered in the political dialogue with China. A strategy paper will come early-June to be added to the recent European attempts at providing greater consistency and effectiveness to relations with China. The major guidelines announced in it for the next 4 to 5 years (promotion of economic and social reforms, a sustainable market economy, the respect for the environment, good governance, rule of law) will be the reference framework. On the programme, we also find: combating trafficking in human beings and illegal immigration, the deterioration in Sino-American relations (including the American missile defence system), human rights (notably Tibet), disarmament, inter-Korean rapprochement, Russia, reforming the UN.
The following day, the Asem ministerial, with a particularly full agenda, will deal with: improving the process and its funding, and possibly broadening it, topical issues in Asia and Europe, and at world level, transnational problems like the trafficking in women and children, money laundering, economic relations and cultural cooperation.