Brussels, 29/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - As part of an EU/China ministerial at the EU/ASEM foreign affairs ministers meeting on Monday in Hamburg, the head of German diplomacy and acting president of the Council, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the Commissioner for external relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, called on China to continue to open up its markets, a measure they consider necessary if the Union is going to be able to reduce its trade deficit with its Chinese partner. This deficit is estimated to have risen to €130bn in 2006. At the end of her meeting with the new head of Chinese diplomacy Yang Jiechi, Ferrero-Waldner informed the press that “it is an enormous deficit and explains why we really want to obtain market access. I really did highlight the subject”.
Underlining the need for the two parties to “expand their cooperation on a mutually beneficial basis and ensure growth in bilateral, sustainable and balanced trade”, Mr Yang provided assurances that China was “not deliberately” attempting to produce a trade surplus with the EU. He added: “We will attempt to import as much as possible from Europe but we are also hoping that Europe will make its trade restrictions more flexible on hi-tech transfers”. In the meantime, as Europe waits and multiplies its appeals to the WTO over the increase in trade disputes with Beijing, Mr Yang reaffirmed the need for the two parties to “work towards settling their disputes through dialogue”.
Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA). European leaders also reaffirmed their wishes to get negotiations on the new EU/China PCA moving, which aims to oversee all bilateral relations (no fewer than 22 current examples of sectoral cooperation) and replace the old cooperation and trade agreement that has been in place since 1985. Ms Ferrero-Waldner indicated that she was awaiting an acceleration in the discussions launched on 17 January (EUROPE 9346) that aim to produce evidence of progress at the next EU/China summit she wants to see set up on 3 November. This date has so far not been confirmed by the Chinese who will be hosting the event. Faced with the Europeans' eagerness to bring negotiations on the new PCA forward, Mr Yang acknowledged that the two sides had “enormous potential to use in their bilateral relations”. He underscored the “multitude of common interests” and “the convergence of views on many international and regional questions”.
Energy, climate change. Intense discussions, however, on the major global dossier at the moment, energy security and climate change, did not lead to a clear convergence of views with the Europeans. The latter, as well as rich and emerging economies, support world-wide adoption of the post-Kyoto quantitative targets on Co2 emissions reduction. The Chinese say they share the European's priorities on climate change and the environment but are arguing for a fair balance between environmental considerations and development demands, which they consider necessary for developing countries. In reply to Mr Steinmeier, who insisted on “a common responsibility to shoulder efforts to counter climate change”, the Chinese minister for foreign affairs explained that “the current status of climate change is not the doing of the developing countries; on the other hand we are living on the same planet, so every country has the responsibility to do what it can to help protect the environment”. He pointed out that his country had set itself targets on controlling growth in green house gas emissions and reducing energy consumption per capita by 20% between 2006 and 2010. The Chinese minister added: “We need to take note of what China has achieved. Naturally, we want to have an exchange of views on how we can do better”. He stressed that China would particularly appreciate clean and green technology transfers from developed countries. Although Steinmeier expressed hope that decisive progress would be made by the time of the Bali conference next December, and welcomed he fact that China had proposed other meetings on this theme with the EU27 this year, diplomats in Hamburg did anonymously inform the Dow Jones of their feelings of the Europeans having failed to convince the Chinese authorities of joining them in a commitment to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% as part of the post-Kyoto international agreement.
Human rights. Once again questions regarding human rights, freedom of association, opinion and the internet were “clearly tackled” during discussions, explained Ms Ferrero-Waldner, who illustrated the Union's desire to see Beijing ratify an international treaty on civil and political rights. This is imperative if the EU27, which have banned arms sales to China since 1989, are to lift their embargo. Taiwan: the European Troika (also consisting of High Representative Javier Solana) reaffirmed its position in favour of a united China policy. North Korea, Kosovo, Sudan/Darfur were also on the agenda of international issues to be discussed by the Europeans and Chinese, as well as the Iranian nuclear dossier and the need to put pressure on Tehran, while ruling out any military solution. (eh)