Advancing relations with China an EU priority: Finnish ambassador

Advancing trade and investment relations with China is a priority for the European Union, and the bloc is pursuing a more balanced economic relationship with Beijing, Finnish ambassador to China, Jarno Syrjala, said on Thursday.

Finland on July 1 took over the presidency of the Council of the European Union and will hold the position until the end of this year.

Nicolas Chapuis, head of the delegation of the EU to China, said that EU and China have decided to conclude negotiations on their bilateral investment agreement by 2020.

"Negotiations are moving forward with a longer process, larger scale and an accelerating pace that allow us to be hopeful for that commitment to be fulfilled," he said.  

China and the EU have engaged in high level exchanges over the past half year, and the two sides have reached consensus on deepening bilateral cooperation.

Chapuis said that the major task for the EU and China is implementing the commitment made by leaders from both sides.

According to him, a treaty on air service and safety was signed in May, and the Geographical Indications Agreement between the two sides is hopefully to be signed "in the fall".

He also said that the EU and China have decided to increase talks on reform of the World Trade Organization.

The EU and China will work together to find solutions because the organization is "in danger of death," he said.

As the change of leadership of the EU institutions is a major event in European politics this year, Chapuis said that relations between Europe and China are not dependent on personality but common interests, principles and values.

He said that one of his responsibilities as ambassador to China is to make sure that the new leaders will engage the Chinese leadership immediately when taking office.

Both sides will conduct a series of meetings in the next half year on topics ranging from development policies, economic cooperation, climate change to international issues.

Frequent contact will prove the broad and close cooperation between the two sides as well as a higher level of bilateral trust, he said.

During the Finnish presidency, climate change will be a key issue.

The country will also underline the common values and the rule of law and make the EU more competitive and socially inclusive.