Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-07-15-Speech-3-162"
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"en.20090715.11.3-162"2
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"Mr President, it is a sign of the importance that this House attaches to our strategic relationship with China that this debate has been scheduled during your inaugural session. I yet again welcome the opportunity to contribute with a brief outline of the perspective of the Commission on behalf of my colleague Benita Ferrero-Waldner, who, I have indicated, is unfortunately travelling this week and cannot be here.
I do not need to remind this House of the huge progress we have made in relations with China since our first summit, now 10 years ago. Economic and trade relations have been transformed, people-to-people contacts are multiplying and we are engaged in dialogue on an ever-increasing range of issues.
Following the last EU-China Summit in May, negotiations on a new partnership and cooperation agreement are proceeding well and we are able to take advantage of a growing number of high-level contacts, including Prime Minister Wen’s highly successful visit to President Barroso earlier this year and the meeting of the high-level economic and trade dialogue which I co-chaired with Vice-Premier Wang Qishan.
Today we are naturally focused on global challenges, including the economic and financial crisis and climate change, as well as regional issues. At the same time, we have strong interests in the situation inside China, where we witness many spectacular achievements but also developments that cause concern. China’s policy of opening up its economy has lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty and helped the world progress towards the important Millennium Development Goals. Yet China is a huge country with considerable internal challenges and differences between its regions.
The strength of our strategic partnership also allows for constructive and open exchange of views on issues where Europe and China diverge. This can be on aspects of our trade relationship or human rights – for example over Tibet, which I know is of particular interest in this House. Recently we expressed strong concern over the unrest in Xinjiang, deplored the loss of life, and expressed our condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims. We have called on all parties to show restraint and bring an immediate end to all acts of violence. We hope the situation can be resolved peacefully through dialogue without further bloodshed.
The EU has tried, over the years, to convey to the Chinese authorities its worries over the situation of ethnic minorities in China and to share its own experience, many times painful, on how to address the causes of marginalisation, exclusion and discrimination that those minorities often face.
We all share the goal of a more open, transparent China adhering to international standards on human rights and working together to address global challenges. To achieve this, we must continue to integrate China deeper into the international community and work on the development of our strategic partnership in the spirit of constructive engagement."@en1
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