BRUSSELS – Dismissing recent tensions, the Chinese Foreign Minister, Li Zhaoxing, has said EU-China relations “are in good shape”.
His words followed a meeting with European Commission President José Manuel Durao Barroso and External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner in Brussels on Thursday (17 March).
“We agreed to move forward on a new framework agreement in keeping up with our rapidly evolving bilateral relations”, said Mrs Ferrero-Waldner, stressing that a “new high-level co-ordination mechanism” will be set up before the next EU-China summit to negotiate this agreement.
The agreement “should be ambitious in scope and in content”, she added.
Taiwan
Speaking at a joint press briefing with the External Relations commissioner, Li Zhaoxing stressed that there were “no reasons at all” for the international community to be concerned over the recently-passed Chinese anti-secessionist law, which allows China to use force against Taiwan if it tries to become independent.
He said the law is meant to facilitate a “peaceful solution” and “the reunification of the island with the motherland”.
However, he underlined that “there is but one China in the world and Taiwan is a part of it”.
The EU weapons embargo on China and the human rights situation in the country were also discussed in a “friendly and constructive atmosphere”, said Mrs Ferrero-Waldner.
Discussions on the embargo, which the EU has proposed lifting in the first half of this year, “are still ongoing”, she added.
Chinese textile exports into the EU were also discussed, with Mr Barroso making it clear that that EU “wants to avoid the use of safeguards”. He encouraged China to implement its commitments to the World Trade Organization.
For his part, Mr Zhaoxing said that a “balance between [China’s] obligations and rights as a member of the WTO” should be found. According to the minister, China is doing “pretty well” in implementing its commitments.
Tibetan Protesters
Outside the European Council Building, around 30 Tibetans were assembled, to protest against China’s response to the Dalai Lama’s climb-down on his position over Tibet.
In an unprecedented stance, the Dalai Lama accepted China’s control over Tibet’s political and economic affairs on Tuesday (March 15). “Tibet is an autonomous region of the People’s Republic of China” said the Dalai Lama in a speech.
China replied by demanding the spiritual leader to declare publicly that Tibet is “an inalienable part of China” and that the Buddhist monk must recognise China, “objectively and completely” if he wants to really improve ties with Beijing.
Tibetan people, who number 6 million, have been under China’s heel since the 1951 invasion by the People’s Army.
According to European Commission sources, Tibet was not discussed in the meeting.
