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China, EU agree to hold talks by June
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-01-31 09:11

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L) speaks as European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso listens at the joint press conference held after their talks at European Union headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Jan. 30, 2009. [Xinhua]

Yuan 'not undervalued'

Wen said China had not undervalued its currency to gain an advantage in trade. If that were true how could the yuan have "appreciated by 20 percent against the US dollar", since 2005.

"We believe maintaining the stability of the Chinese currency will play a positive role in stabilizing international finance and the economy," Wen said.

China remains a key market for the EU and is the 27-nation bloc's fastest growing export market. The EU exported goods worth 72 billion euros ($92.7 billion) to China in 2007, and the figure in the first nine months of last year rose 12 percent year-on-year, according to the EU. China's exports to EU were worth 232 billion euros.

Brussels is the third stop on Wen's Jan 27-Feb 2 EU tour. Before that, he attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and visited Germany. He will also visit Spain and Britain.