Nation

Closer Asia-EU ties 'must' for energy security

By Le Tian (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-05-30 07:19

Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi yesterday called for closer partnership between Asia and the European Union (EU) to ensure energy security.

Speaking at the eighth Asia-Europe meeting (ASEM) of foreign ministers, which concluded in the German city of Hamburg yesterday, Yang said international cooperation is one of the most important ways of ensuring energy security.

Yang submitted a four-point proposal to enhance Asia-EU partnership:

Promote multilateralism and strengthen political dialogue and mutual trust;

Intensify pragmatic cooperation and promote a balanced development of the global economy;

Intensify partnership to ensure energy security and deal with climate change;

Respect diversity of civilizations and increase dialogue among countries with diverse cultures.

He said at the two-day meeting where top diplomats from 45 Asian and EU countries had gathered: "Climate change is a problem caused by development, and it should be dealt with on a common principle but different levels of responsibilities." Climate change will also be high on the G8 summit agenda in Heiligendamm, Germany, next week.

Other priority areas of the ASEM meeting include international trade, the Kosovo problem and the Iranian and Korean Peninsula nuclear issues.

The annual ASEM meeting is an informal discussion initiated in 1996 to strengthen Asia-Europe ties and increase mutual understanding between the two continents.

"We should increase the influence of Asia and the EU in international affairs to effectively resolve burning international and regional issues such as those in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East, and the Iranian and Korean Peninsula nuclear crises."

The ASEM members now account for 60 percent of international trade, 58 percent of the global population and about 50 percent of the world's GDP. China and Europe have "a vast potential to tap" in bilateral relations, Yang told reporters after a meeting with three senior EU foreign ministers late Monday.

On Europe's trade deficit with China, Yang said: "China is not seeking a trade surplus with Europe deliberately. We'll try to import as much as possible from Europe, and we hope Europe will further relax the trade restrictions on high-tech transfers to China."

(China Daily 05/30/2007 page2)