Diplomacy at full trot in Year of Horse

Chinese and EU leaders have plenty of work to do - and pandas will pitch in, too

Foreign policy, regional affairs and important global issues are expected to figure prominently in the strategic dialogue between China and the European Union in Brussels on Jan 27.

Though both sides have stepped up the frequency of high-level exchanges, the discussions between China's State Councilor Yang Jiechi and the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton will include, among other things, topics like arms control, non-proliferation, human rights and climate change, experts say.

The talks will also extend to the areas of coordination for the two sides at the forthcoming G20 Leaders Summit and the Asia-Europe Meeting in Australia and Italy later this year.

Sources also indicate that Yang and Ashton would deliberate on how to further extend the gains achieved during the Sino-EU summit in Beijing in November, following which an official document titled China-EU 2020 Strategy was worked out.

Both sides are expected to extend further support to each other's global presence and to strengthen security cooperation along with measures to increase direct investment. The two sides have set an ambitious goal of doubling bilateral trade to $1 trillion by 2020, experts say.

Matthew Powell, chief executive of Primax Ltd, a clean energy solution provider in Hong Kong, says the dialogue between Yang and Ashton is critical in raising the level of collaboration and mutual understanding needed to enable closer co-operation so that they can work more closely together.

"We believe we need a joint over-arching vision of co-operative development and problem solving to meet the needs of China's development and EU progress," Powell says.

Beyond political dialogue, Powell says both sides should focus on green growth, Chinese FDI in Europe and business partnerships that deliver technology and know-how and jobs within China and its neighboring countries.

Yang's visit is the third high-level exchange between the two sides recently after Vice-Premier Ma Kai's high-level economic and trade dialogue with his EU counterparts in October and the EU-China summit in November. Both sides have started to intensify diplomatic activities and dialogue after several months of stalemate last year due to the EU's blocking of Chinese solar panel exports.

Yang is also due to meet top leaders of Belgium, and there are indications that his trip will be followed by more high-level visits to Europe this year. Yang will also visit Germany during this trip.

China's ambassador to Belgium Liao Liqiang had recently indicated that China would send two pandas to Belgium in the spring, a sign that the goodwill diplomacy will be followed by the visit of a top leader.

Two four-year-old giant pandas from the Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan province will be given to the Pairi Daiza zoo in Belgium, after the zoo authorities said that they had finished construction of facilities for the visitors.

Alongside the Brussels mission, China and France celebrate the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations this month. The French president and premier visited China last year and expectations are that top Chinese leaders may visit France as part of the 300 joint activities being planned by both nations.

Netherlands is another European country that will see visits from top Chinese leaders during the third Nuclear Security Summit on March 24 and 25. Though Chinese President Xi Jinping has been invited to participate in the summit, there is still no official confirmation on whether he will attend.

"It seems that the Year of the Horse will see a galloping start to EU-China relations," says Theresa Fallon, senior Associate of European Institute of Asian Studies. "I think both sides are ready to work towards that."

Fallon says European economies are expected to rebound further this year, and this should be good news for EU-China trade and for China too.

Implementation of the reforms outlined during the Third Plenum of the Chinese Communist Party will open up more investment opportunities in China, particularly for European investors, and strengthen EU-China cooperation, she says.

Axel Goethals, CEO of the Brussels-based European Institute for Asian Studies says that though there was a honeymoon period after bilateral ties began in 2003, the period after that has been marked by several contentious issues like arms embargo and the trade friction over the solar panels issue.

Goethals believes that this year could be an important year for both sides as high-level talks are expected to further boost bilateral relations. He indicates that the possible visits of President Xi in the first half of the year and Premier Li Keqiang in the second half for the Asia-Europe Meeting in Italy and the EU-China summit in Brussels will add more zing to ties.

According to Goethals, China's involvement in global affairs has helped create a more balanced global power dynamic. "Of course, there are some who are not happy with this," he says. "The EU-China relationship is an engagement between two partners who share similar thoughts and have a common vision and hence are natural partners," he says.

"This in fact creates huge potential for the short and long-term future of the EU-China relationship, and both sides should strive to make more gains."

Goethals says the EU and China have many common goals, but do not necessarily have to agree on everything.

"Of course, this is part of the recognition of the status and the importance of China as a major global power from the European side."

On the other hand, Goethals says China needs to consider the perception created with its growing economic clout and global presence.

"An important focus of the EU and China as partners and friends should be not only to enhance and foster greater mutual understanding, respect and acceptance of their respective values," says Goethals, "but also to develop common values that build on these Asian, Chinese and European values."

Li Xiaofei in Brussels contributed to the story

fujing@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 01/24/2014 page3)