Vice premier calls for energy co-op with Europe

BRUSSELS - Visiting Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday called for more energy cooperation between his country and the European Union (EU).

The immense potential of China-EU energy cooperation lies in the marriage of China's urbanization with new energy and energy conservation, Li told the first China-EU high-level energy meeting in Brussels.

China, in the middle of an urbanization process, provides a huge market in areas such as energy conservation in construction while the EU has a competitive edge in energy-related technologies, said Li.

The EU should be more flexible in high-tech transfers to China and the two sides should open their respective energy markets, expand technology exchanges and protect intellectual property rights, he said.

In addition, the two sides could work more closely in areas such as new and renewable energy resources, low-carbon technologies, equipment manufacturing, green buildings, among others, said the Chinese leader.

China and the EU are among the world's largest economies that shoulder the responsibility of safeguarding energy security and maintaining the stability of the world energy market, said Li. Therefore, the two sides should work toward a stable, economical, clean and diversified energy supply system.

It is important for China and the EU to participate in global energy governance, said Li. The two sides should strengthen policy coordination to push for an open and efficient energy market that features fair competition, and to promote the establishment of a rational energy pricing system, Li added.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso told the same meeting that energy cooperation between the EU and China has global significance.

"The European Union and China are two of the global economy's main actors ... Our actions therefore matter for the world as a whole," said Barroso.

"As regards energy security, our objective is to jointly engage as responsible world energy players so as to make the best energy choices, the most sustainable investments, in order to cater for stability of the world markets and achieve sustainable growth."

During Li's visit to the EU headquarters, China and the EU signed three joint declarations on urbanization partnership, energy security and electricity markets.

Li concluded on Friday his nine-day visit to Europe, which took him to Russia, Hungary, Belgium and the EU headquarters in Brussels.