EU to hold 'partnership dialogue' with China

Ahead of an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers at the end of next week, the bloc's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton began a six-day visit to China on Monday (29 August).

After a day spent visiting the EU pavilions at the World Expo in Shangai, Ms Ashton will co-chair the first EU-China high-level strategic dialogue with state councillor Dai Bingguo on Tuesday and Wednesday in the Guiyang region.

During the meeting they will "address issues of concern and mutual interest," Ms Ashton's office wrote in a statement. These include foreign and security matters such as the Korean Peninsula, Iran, Africa and piracy in the Gulf of Aden.

"Today, EU-China co-operation and exchanges form a rich tapestry of interwoven issues and interests. Inevitably, a relationship such as ours needs constant attention if we are to maintain and build confidence," Ms Ashton said in a written interview with a state-owned newspaper China Daily, published Sunday.

"We need to communicate – to speak frankly – to exchange ideas and to recognise there have been and will be some difficult moments as our relationship matures. That is why I am in China this week, to coordinate closely our policies and to develop further our cooperation on important international issues," she added.

She went on to highlight some of the areas of dispute including trade and the environment. The EU has upbraided China several times for not protecting intellectual property rights while EU business leaders have increasingly complained about the obstacles they face to doing business in the country. Meanwhile, Beijing has taken a tough line on environmental issues arguing that countries that are catching up on the industry front should not have to pay for the environmental sins of fully industrialised countries.

"Part of China's success comes from the open global economy with common rules. If this system is going to continue it needs active efforts by all the important countries – and of course China is now one of the most important ones. This is true in trade, but it is also true in the area of banking, security and the environment," Ms Ashton said.

With the EU-China summit on the agenda on 6 October, Ms Ashton will meet Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and foreign minister Yang Jiechi in Beijing during Thursday and Friday.