Brussels – The head of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, is set to challenge China’s leaders over their handling of the Tibet crisis when he leads a mission to Beijing on Thursday. Barroso “intends to confront the Chinese authorities with the contradiction that they are hosting one of the greatest festivals of youth in the world, the Olympic Games, against a backdrop of repression and tension,” a commission press release said.
Barroso “will underline questions of human rights and freedom of expression” when he meets China’s President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, and “it is clear” that the troubles in Tibet will be a theme, his spokesman said Monday.
However, given the recent anti-European demonstrations in China, the commission’s desire is to “engage China” in a “peaceful” dialogue, Barroso’s spokesman said.
The mission is set to be a major diplomatic effort, with nine commissioners – one-third of the total number – accompanying Barroso for talks aimed at urging China to join any future international deal on fighting climate change.
“China is already the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases (in the world), according to some indicators … The commission therefore believes that it is essential to get China to commit itself to fighting climate change,” the press release said.
The commissioners for energy, the environment and international development are to be among those visiting China with Barroso.
Barroso and Wen are also set to launch the so-called EU-China High Level Economic and Trade Mechanism, a “new tool” aimed at helping European firms invest or set up business in China.
China is the European Union’s biggest single source of manufactured imports and its fastest-growing export market.
However, EU officials say that trade barriers and the theft of intellectual property remain major problems.
