EUobserver.com

EU top officials along with employment and social affairs commissioner Vladimir Spidla on Friday went to Beijing to advocate improvement of social welfare and worker protection.

An agreement with China that targeted matters involving social security, employment, demographic ageing and social policy was to be ratified by Vladimir Spidla on Saturday.

"If we talk to them about health and safety at work, about social security and they see themselves that there is a necessity to change things in order to have a sustainable economy in the long-term that will also decrease possibilities for social dumping," said Mr Spidla, according to AFP.

"If they decide to copy the European pension model, it means they consider it to be the best," he continued.

Social dumping – when countries with weak labour and safety standards export cheap goods to a state with more rigorous legislation and protection – is a strong point of contention between Brussels and Beijing.

The two sides have been locked into disputes focussing on the import of cheap Chinese textiles and shoes into Europe.

Mr Spidla said he hoped the EU's dialogue would "help China develop modern systems of social security."

EU pushes China on social welfare