A four-point?proposal on boosting trade and economic
cooperation between China and the European Union (EU) was submitted
Tuesday by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
In his speech entitled "Enhance Cooperation to Make Win-win
Progress" at the 2006 China-Europe business summit Wen said China
and the EU were highly complementary economically and had great
potential to cooperate. ?
"We've now reached a new stage in boosting our business ties,"
he said. "We should expand the scope of cooperation, explore new
cooperation models, raise the level of cooperation and elevate our
business relations to a new height."?
To achieve these objectives the premier put forward his
four-point proposal:
-- Expanding technological cooperation in various fields
-- Strengthening cooperation in energy and environment
protection
-- Deepening cooperation in the agriculture and service
sectors
-- Promoting cooperation between small and medium-sized
enterprises (SME).
On technological cooperation Wen said, "We encourage both
independent innovation and the introduction of technology through
enhanced international cooperation. Europe, which is strong in
information technology, bio-medicine, machinery, automobile,
electronics, chemistry and the energy sector will find ample
opportunities for further development in China."
"China and the EU should explore new areas, projects and models
for cooperation and carry out scientific and technological
cooperation in diversified forms and at various levels," he
said.
On energy and environment protection, Wen explained China was
endeavoring to build an energy-conserving and
environmentally-friendly society and had a growing demand for new
energy and products which do not damage the environment. ?
Europe led the world in waste treatment, energy-conservation
projects, environmental management and renewable energy such as
wind, solar and bio-energy, said Wen. It was well positioned to
establish itself in Chinese markets.
"We hope to work with the EU to strengthen cooperation in energy
conservation and environmental protection," he said.
As for deepening cooperation in agriculture and service sectors,
Wen said Europe had advanced agricultural technologies and had much
to offer in greenhouse technology and agriculture management.
?
China and the EU could deepen cooperation in rural development,
poverty alleviation, agricultural ecology, product quality and
animal health, he added. "As the EU has an advanced service sector
the two sides have great potential for cooperation in this field,"
commented Wen. ?
As for promoting cooperation between SMEs, the premier said the
EU was renowned as a "kingdom" of such businesses and Chinese and
European SMEs were complementary in technology, business model and
management.
"The Chinese Government has adopted a series of policies to
support SMEs and industrial parks for European SMEs have been
opened in some Chinese cities," he said.
"We encourage SMEs from both sides to make full use of the
existing platform and expand cooperation in technology transfer,
market sharing, processing trades and human resources," Wen
added.
"In the new century our people can surely, through hard work and
drawing on their wisdom, create a more splendid future," he said.
"Let us join hands and work together to raise China-EU economic
cooperation and trade to a new height," Wen concluded.
Some 500 senior business leaders attended the 2006 China-Europe
business summit on Tuesday to discuss strategies to boost China-EU
economic and technological cooperation.
(Xinhua News Agency September 13, 2006)