Upgrading EU cooperation

• 作者:
• 来源:
• 日期: 2014-07-28
• 浏览次数: 5100次

 "To continue play the main role in good trade and investment cooperation of China and Europe, both sides should improve the cooperation from the simple trade model to the Complex economic and trade cooperation in every field, using the complementary strengths to achieve the $ 1 trillion target trade value of both sides earlier." said Chinese President Xi Jinping when met the European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

Data shows that China's trade with EU has over one billion euros (about 1.7 billion U.S. dollars) each day. EU has been the largest trading partner of China for more than ten consecutive years.

EU promised to sign FTA with China

Economic and trade exchanges has always been the key point of China-EU relations. The President Xi Jinping's visit to Europe brings the upgrade signal of EU countries.

"Take a strategic point of view on China-EU relations, and combine the two power, two major markets and the two civilizations together to build the peace, growth, reform and civilization partnership and inject new impetus for the cooperation, making a greater contribution to the world prosperity." President Xi Jinping noted that "China-EU strategic cooperation has broad prospects. Under the new situation, we should fully implement the 2020 EU-China cooperation. In the new strategic planning, we should carry out the world's three levels cooperation in Central Europe, Asia and Europe."

Fortunately, President Xi Jinping's visit to Europe won the commitment from EU: EU is considering to sign the free-trade agreement with China.

This is China's long-term goal, but there are differences between the two sides that can not be resolved.

It is understood that, at present, the view of the main EU member states is that China and EU must first sign a bilateral investment agreement to release the investment restrictions for many EU companies in China and then further discuss the free trade negotiations.

The Barroso also said EU was willing to become China's all-round strategic partner. He hoped under the guidance of strategic planning in 2020 EU cooperation, taking the opportunity of discussing EU investment agreements and free trade agreements to enhance the level of trade and investment and combine with the advantages of both sides, expanding the cooperation of the urbanization, innovation, humanities and other areas. And then through the negotiations, properly solve the trade friction about the wireless communications devices.

"The FDI in China will help Greece, Portugal and Spain and other outer European economies which are in trouble to stimulate production potential, increase employment and balance the nationalist sentiment and Trade protectionism." said Shi Zhiqin, the researcher of Tsinghua University - Carnegie Center for Global Policy.

It is reported that 24 to 25 March, China - EU investment agreements had been completed the second round of negotiations, which can strengthen the legal certainty and predictability of their long-term investment relationship and will promote the markets and establish the legal framework of investment protection so as to promote the development of bilateral trade.

In recent years, China-EU mutual investment is increasing. However, there is a problem that can not be ignored which is that EU often sets the barriers in attracting Chinese funds and the trade frictions in many areas frequently occur. Earlier, De Gucht, the EU Trade Committee found that Chinese solar panel producers were dumping in the EU market and they once the decided to impose average 47% temporary tariffs on Chinese solar products. Until last August, this continuous trade war had the turning point. Under the effort of China's senior, the Chinese PV industry representatives and the European Commission reached an agreement on price by negotiation. The trade frictions involving the largest scale finally resolved peacefully.

During the period the Chairman Xi Jinping's visiting to Europe, the two sides also reached a certain consensus to resolve trade frictions. China and EU issued a "Joint declaration on deepening mutually beneficial comprehensive strategic partnership of China-EU" and welcomed "the recent EU-China negotiations to reach solutions on major trade remedy cases, recognizing the importance of solving the trade disputes responsibly."

"Cooperation" is the important tone for the Chairman Xi Jinping's purpose to visit the EU, and also the keyword for the future development of China-EU relation. "Cooperation" also means to reduce China-EU trade friction dispute and get back on track. Currently, EU is China's largest trading partner and China maintains EU's second largest trading partner. The annual trade volume of both sides reaches 500 billion euros, accounting for 1/3 of the world's economic output.