China, EU agree to hold talks by June

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-01-31 09:11

BRUSSELS: China and the European Union (EU) on Friday agreed to hold high-level talks possibly by June after apparently resolving a bitter diplomatic dispute over the Dalai Lama's visit to Europe last year.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso welcomes Premier Wen Jiabao at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Friday. AFP

Premier Wen Jiabao and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso agreed that the two sides should strengthen their ties to deal with the global financial crisis and fight climate change.

"We have increased our mutual trust and that has played a big role in boosting China-EU ties," Wen said.

After his talks with Wen at the EU headquarters, Barroso said: "None of them will be solved without strong cooperation between China and the EU."

China deferred a high-level Sino-EU meeting in December in protest against French President Nicolas Sarkozy hosting the Dalai Lama while France held EU's six-month rotating presidency. The talks were meant to discuss issues such as falling world trade and the global economic crisis.

Barroso said Friday's talks, the first after the December meeting was postponed, reflected a "kind of atmosphere that only exists between partners that want to reinforce their cooperation".

Expressing the desire to consolidate their ties, Chinese and EU officials signed nine cooperation agreements. Under the pacts, the EU has set aside 60 million euros ($79 million) to help Beijing fight drug trafficking, strengthen copyright protection for EU companies operating in China and for other projects. Pacts on fighting illegal logging and increasing the use of green energy sources were also signed.

EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton said she would hold special trade talks with her Chinese counterpart, Commerce Minister Chen Deming, in April.

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