Ray Burke
Question:12 Mr. R. Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the plans, if any, of the EU, under the Irish Presidency, to advance relations between China and Europe. [17472/96]
Written Answers. - EU Relations with China.
EU-China relations are conducted on the basis of the Council of Ministers' Conclusions on a long-term policy for China-Europe relations of 4 December 1995 and the Joint Agreement for the Political Dialogue.
The basic goals of the EU's strategy towards China are: to preserve world peace and maintain stability in foreign and security policy; to sustain an open world trade system as well as to support sustainable development, the smooth and gradual integration of China into the world economy and the fight against poverty; and the promotion of democracy, structures based on the rule of law and the respect for human rights based on the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Decaration of Human Rights and the 1993 Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. These objectives and basic principles constitute essential elements in the relations between the EU and China. Since the beginning of Ireland's EU Presidency there have been a wide range of contacts with China at various levels. I met with the Chinese Vice-Premier and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Qian Qichen, en marge of the ASEAN Regional Forum and ASEAN Post Ministerial Conferences in Jakarta in July. I also had a further opportunity to meet with Vice-Premier Qichen in New York last week when I led the EU Ministerial Troika at a meeting en marge of the 51st United Nations General Assembly.
I took this opportunity to express the European Union's firm commitment to the EU's long-term strategy and welcomed the policy of economic modernisation and opening up in China. A wide range of issues were addressed at this meeting including security in Asia, economic issues and human rights. The latter subject will also continue to be addressed within the EU Troika-China Human Rights' Dialogue at expert level which has been in existence since the beginning of 1995. It is a hoped that a further meeting of this Human Rights' Dialogue may take place shortly.
The EU-Chinese Political Dialogue, officially launched in 1994, has become a valuable vehicle for contact with China and has provided the opportunity to meet at various levels. The latest official level meeting in the context of this Dialogue took place in Beijing on 13-14 June 1996.
The EC-China Trade Committee established under the EC China Trade and Co-operation Agreement signed in 1985 will meet in Beijing on 14-15 November 1995. The EU will be represented at this meeting by the Commission and the Presidency. The agenda for the talks has not been finalised but it is likely to cover various aspects of Sino-EU trade and co-operation activities.