| The 21st Session of China-EU Mixed Committee Holds in Beijing |
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| Thursday,November 09,2006 Posted: 23:58 BJT(58 GMT) MOFCOM |
The 21st session of China-EU Mixed Committee held in Beijing on Nov 7. Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai and EU Commissioner Peter Mandelson co-chaired the meeting. Vice Minister of Comemrce Gao Hucheng, Vice Director of AQSIQ Ge Zhirong, Vice President of Xinhua News Agency Lu Wei and over 100 representatives from State Post Bureau, National Development and Reform Commission, China Banking Regulatory Commission, Ministry of Information Industry and Europe attended the meeting.
In 4 hours' meeting, the two parties exchanged views and reached consensus on issues like improving Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement 1985, EU's trade and economic policy for China, EU's negotiation on expanding compensation, strengthening IPR protection, China market economy status, anti-dumping on footwear, automobile parts, and enhancing dialogue and cooperation among departments.
Mr. Bo said current China-EU trade and economic relations was in a steady and fast developing period. Looking ahead, both parties should make effort to explore fresh method, inject new power and increase new energy to bilateral trade and economic relations, and implement the consensus reached by both leaders in Sep 2006. China confirmed positive part in EU's trade and economic policy for China and hoped to start up and perfect negotiation on Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement 1985 and EU’s 6th negotiation on expanding bilateral compensation, and properly settled problems in exporting China's lighter, poultry and tunny. He also showed serious concern of China on China's market economy status, anti-dumping on China's footwear and appealing automobile part imports management to WTO.
Mr. Mandelson said trade and economic relations was the key engine in China-EU relationship. European governments, ventures and peoples attached great importance to such relations with China and were always willing to properly settle trade disputes, keep smooth bilateral trade and economic relations and promote common economic development through expanding open, developing dialogue and negotiation. He responded to concerned issues China putting forward. He said China's market economic development gained obvious achievements and won real development in fulfilling commitment of entering WTO. Perfecting of China-EU Trade and Investment Agreement would build a favorable platform for further open to each other and there was an inspiring prospect lay in cooperation on IPR protection.
The two parties jointly announced 8 - point agreement reached at the 21st Session:
1, fully prepare for negotiation on perfecting general principle and relevant issues of Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement 1985, makes effort to reach consensus on negotiating responsibility by the end of 2006 and pushes forward to reach Partnership and Cooperation Agreement;
2, settle trade friction through current mechanism and friendly negotiation;
3, develops exchanges on IPR protection technique and experience between IPR service centers in Guangdong, Jiangsu and EU Chamber of Commerce in China;
4, set up China-EU trade and economic cooperation network, and promotes cooperation between enterprises in China and Europe, especially media and small enterprises;
5, develops department and bureau level exchanges and dialogue in service trade;
6, set up working group for agricultural trade, high-tech and medium and small enterprises under mixed committee;
7, start up informally dialogue in steel trade;
8, set up expert group for sustainable trade under the framework of China-EU Trade Project.
Mr. Bo said EU released trade and economic policy for China for the first time which objectively estimated positive role of China's economy playing in EU's economic development. EU stressed in many occasions that China was the developing opportunity for EU more than threat, and EU attached great importance in China-EU cooperation and actively responded to specific requirements putting forward by China. Meanwhile he seriously criticized on EU's anti-dumping on China's footwear and appealing of automobile part importing management to WTO Dispute Settlement Body.
Mr. Bo said China should gain recognition in three statuses: market economy status, new member status in WTO and developing country status.
Memorandum of Understanding on Strengthening Cooperation on IPR Protection between Guangdong IPR Protection Working Group Office and EU Chamber of Commerce in China, Memorandum of Understanding on Strengthening Cooperation on IPR Protection between Jiangsu IPR Protection Working Group Office and EU Chamber of Commerce in China, and Text on Setting up Expert Group for Sustainable Trade under China-EU Trade Project were signed today.
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