High Representative Federica Mogherini and the
European Commission today adopted a new strategy mapping out the EU’s
relationship with China for the next five years.
The paper, entitled "Elements for a new EU
strategy on China", identifies major opportunities for the EU's relationship
with China, in particular with the aim of creating jobs and growth in Europe as
well as promoting a greater opening up of the Chinese market to European
business.
Such opportunities include concluding an ambitious and
comprehensive agreement on investment, a Chinese contribution to the Investment
Plan for Europe, joint research and innovation activities, as well as
connecting the Eurasian continent via a physical and digital network through
which trade, investment and people-to-people contact can flow.
"The European Union and China already cooperate
on so much: we work together on the global and political issues of our times,
such as Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, migration and climate change. But we can and
must do more to connect the European Union and China. Our citizens, industries,
and organisations can all benefit from a closer, improved, and better-defined
EU-China relationship based on shared responsibility. The Joint Communication
that we have adopted today will, I am sure, enable our relationship to fulfil
its clear potential," Mogherini said.
Looking further ahead, broader ambitions such as a
deep and comprehensive Free Trade Agreement can be considered once an ambitious
investment agreement between the two sides has been concluded and reforms that
level the playing field for domestic and foreign companies have been
implemented. In this regard, China must make significant, time-bound and
verifiable cuts in industrial over-capacity, notably in the steel sector, to
prevent negative consequences from unfair competition.
Further strengthening
the effectiveness of the EU's Trade Defence Instruments is key, notably through
the swift adoption of the Commission's Trade Defence Instruments modernisation
proposal of April 2013. The EU will continue to support China's economic and
social reform programme through its many dialogues with China so that the
country can reap the full benefits of market-led reform, including by
eliminating state-induced economic distortions and reforming state-owned
enterprises.
The Joint Communication also highlights opportunities
for closer cooperation and partnership between the EU and China in the fields
of foreign and security policy. Building on the positive experience of the Iran
nuclear talks, the EU and China should work more closely together in order to
resolve international conflicts and foreign policy priorities both bilaterally
and in multilateral contexts such as the UN system and in the G20. Issues of a
global nature like migration, international development assistance, the
environment and fighting climate change can only be resolved through a global
response, and for this reason a collaborative EU-China relationship is crucial.
The EU's engagement with China will be principled,
practical and pragmatic, staying true to its interests and values, in
particular adherence to international rules and norms, and respect for human
rights.
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