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Premier in Finland, urges EU to lift ban

By Sun Shangwu (Chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2006-09-10 08:47

HELSINKI, Finland - Visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Saturday urged European leaders to show their "farsightedness and courage" and "make correct political decision" to lift arms embargo on China and recognize China's market economy status. (Full Coverage on Premier Wen's Visit to Asia, Europe)

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L) poses with Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (C) and European Union President Jose Manuel Barroso during the EU-China talks in the House of Estates in Helsinki September 9, 2006. China disapproves of linking trade issues to human rights questions in planned negotiations with the EU for a wide-ranging partnership agreement, Wen said on Saturday. [Reuters]

 

Solving these problems should reflect "mutual respect and equality", said Wen, noting it will benefit both China and Europe.

Wen made the appeal at the joint press conference with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen. Finland is the current holder of the rotating EU presidency. The three leaders attended the Ninth China-EU Summit.

The 25-member EU still keeps an embargo on weapons sales to China. A French-led move to end the embargo was blocked last year with strong opposition from US and Japan.

A joint statement of the summit was released after the meeting, covering wide-ranging issues from human rights dialogues to controlling of avian influenza. (Full Text of the Joint Statement)

In the 36-article document, China urged the EU to lift the arms embargo at an early date, while EU confirmed "its willingness to carry forward work towards lifting the embargo."

The two sides also announced the launching of negotiation on the new Partnership and Co-operation Agreement that aims to "reflect the full breadth and depth of today's comprehensive strategic partnership."

Leaders from the both sides hope the new agreement could push the two sides to further their practical co-operation on economic and trade, sustainable development, environmental protection, social security, finance and exchange of the youth.

On the sustainable development, for example, the two sides agreed to step up the exchange of experiences with a view to building a resource-efficient and environmental-friendly society. EU promised to back China's efforts to introduce a circular economy and safeguard natural resources.

On the economic side, China supports the practical co-operation, but does not want EU to link economic and trade co-operation with human rights issue.

The EU is now China's biggest trading partner. Trade reached US$120.95 billion in the first half of this year, a 20.9-percent increase over the same period last year.

The leaders also talk about the nuclear issues of Iran and that in the Korean Peninsula.

They urged Iran to comply fully with the demand from the United Nations that it stop enriching uranium.

China appreciated EU's efforts to solve the Iran nuclear issues, said Wen, urging Iran to heed concerns of international community and take constructive measures to solve the problem.

He said China will make joint efforts with other countries to seek peaceful solution to the issue.

"Diplomatic effort is a hard and complicated process, and sanctions will not necessarily help solve the problem," said Wen.

He appealed for all relevant parties to keep cautions when thinking about launching sanctions against Iran.

While on the nuclear issues on the Korean Peninsula, leaders emphasized their wish to see the Six-Party talks process resume as soon as possible. They also expressed grave concern over the recent missile launches by Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Pyongyang has boycotted six-party talks, hosted by China, the United States, South Korea, Japan and Russia, since last November.

It refuses to return to the negotiating table until Washington lifts financial restrictions imposed after claims that the country produce fake US money and traded illegal drugs.

Chinese Premier arrived in Helsinki on Saturday to attend the ninth China-EU Summit and the sixth Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) as well as start his official visit to Finland. His September 9-16 trip will also take him to the United Kingdom, Germany and Tajikistan.