Brussels, 18/05/2009 (Agence Europe) - Bilateral economic and trade issues will of course have pride of place on the agenda of the 11th EU/China summit on 20 May in Prague. The summit will be attended by Chinese prime minister, Wen Jiabao, the president of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Klaus, the president of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso and his colleagues Benita Ferrero-Waldner (External Relations) and Catherine Ashton (Trade), as well as the High Representative, Javier Solana. Although it is expected that the summit will confirm the joint commitment made by the Europeans and Chinese at the 2nd session of the senior economic and trade dialogue on 7-8 May in Brussels, to cooperate more in tackling the crisis (EUROPE 9896 and 9897), there is no doubt that European leaders will highlight the difficulties encountered by European companies and exporters in accessing the Chinese market in many sectors. This is occurring at a time when the EU trade deficit with China rose to almost €170bn in 2008 ad in an environment of inadequate protection for intellectual property in China. Chinese leaders are expected to call on the EU to lift its restrictions on high-technology exports to China, especially in the area of new energies, energy efficiency systems and waste treatment and the recognise China's status as a market economy, which it has been claiming since 2003 and which will allow it to be less exposed to anti-dumping taxes. As well as the fight against protectionism, the question of climate protection will also be a major source of conflict at an economic level and with just over six months to go to the Copenhagen conference. There are no doubts, however, that the two parties will make an effort to create a coalition of countries as broad as possible in the fight against global warming and to better convince the US to play a driving force in this. It is expected to ratify the progress accomplished in bilateral cooperation in different sectors, the case of Burma/Myanmar in particular. The Europeans have not succeeded in softening up the Burma regime despite their sanctions, which they are hesitating about reinforcing, are expected to call on the Chinese government to put pressure on the junta to release the opponent, Aung San Suu Syi. Finally, European and Chinese leaders will attempt to definitively turn the page in their argument at the end of last year about the Dalai Lama. Beijing cancelled the previous summit, planned for the beginning of December 2008 in France during the country's presidency of the EU, to protest against Mr Sarkozy's meeting with the Tibetan spiritual leader. But his next visit at the end of May in the Netherlands and Denmark could put more oil on the fire. Finally, following the 27th session of the EU/China dialogue on human rights, European leaders will have to prove their firmness and flexibility in avoiding any false notes during a summit that is supposed to reduce recent bilateral economic and political tensions. (E.H./trans/rh)