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FM maps out blueprint for EU-China ties
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-02-04 08:53
Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, who met in Vienna Friday
with the foreign policy troika of the European Union (EU), unveiled a blueprint
for boosting relations between the EU and China for 2006.
Li told the EU troika, which consists of Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula
Plassnik, Finland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja, EU foreign
policy chief Javier Solana and EU commissioner for external relations Benita
Ferrero-Waldner, that both sides should make good preparations for the ninth
China-EU summit, to be held in the second half of this year.
Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing (L) and
Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel share a joke in Schuessel's office
in Vienna February 3, 2006.[Reuters] | The foreign
minister said both sides should properly handle the trade dispute and keep the
momentum of the bilateral trade, urging the EU side to make progress on
recognizing China's full market economy status.
Since 2004, the EU has become the biggest trading partner of China and China
is the second biggest trading partner of the EU.
While extending appreciation for bilateral cooperation on science last year,
the Galileo Project in particular, Li proposed to deepen the cooperation and to
start preparations for launching the EU-China Science Year.
He also said China and the EU should continue to enhance communication and
cooperation on a number of international outstanding issues like the Iran
nuclear issue, the UN reform, and the Middle East situation.
Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, left,
shakes hands with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, right, as
Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, center looks on, on Friday,
Feb. 3, 2006, prior to their talks at the foreign ministry in
Vienna.[AP] | The minister also reminded his EU
colleagues of tackling China's concerns on various issues.
The EU troika said the EU side would make concerted efforts to achieve a lot
at the upcoming EU-China summit, extending hopes that both sides take concrete
cooperation measures on trade, civil aviation, environment protection and
tourism.
They called for the launch of the talks on the new partnership framework
agreement, saying such a comprehensive treaty would fit the requirements of the
EU-China strategic relations.
The new partnership framework agreement, if signed by both sides, will become
the legal basis for the EU-China relations, and it will replace the current
economic cooperation agreement, which was signed in 1985.
The EU trokia vowed to make more efforts on recognizing China's full market
economy status.
They also said the EU adheres to the one-China policy.
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