On June 30, 2003, Foreign Minister Li
Zhaoxing met with the foreign ministers of the Troika of the
European Union (EU) in Athens. Mr. George Papandreou, the
rotating president of EU Greek Foreign Minister, Javier
Solana, High Representative for Common Foreign and Security
Policy (CFSP) and President of the European Commission, and
the representative of Italian Foreign Minister attended the
meeting.
Li Zhaoxing said that currently the
comprehensive partnership between China and EU on the basis
of equality, reciprocity and mutual respect was becoming
more and more mature with both sides viewing and developing
Sino-European relations from strategic perspective. He
recalled the consensus reached by President Hu Jintao and
Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis in their St. Petersburg
meeting, which was of vital significance to the enhancement
of Sino-European relations. He noted that China appreciated
the European side's constructive attitude on questions
relating to Taiwan and its understanding and support to
China in the campaign against the Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS).
Li pointed out that EU would
continue to occupy an important position in China's external
relations and to push forward Sino-European relations
continuously was in the interests of both sides and the
whole world at large. To this end, he made the following
suggestions. First, make the sixth China-Europe leadership
meeting a success. Second, maintain the momentum of
political dialogue between China and Europe at various
levels. Third, deepen bilateral trade and economic
relations, and expand cooperation in the fields of
agriculture, environmental protection, energy, information
and infrastructure building in the middle and west of China.
Fourth, carefully deal with and appropriately handle
problems and disagreements in bilateral relations. He said
that EU should recognize the status of China as a full
market economy at an early date and lift the ban on the
export of animal-derived products from China.
The European side noted that seeing
strengthened dialogues and cooperation, frequent contacts
and continuously deepening mutual understanding between
Europe and China, EU felt satisfied with the Europe-China
relations and agreed to China's suggestions on developing
bilateral relations. EU appreciated the active role China
had played in maintaining international and regional peace
and stability as well as good political and economic ties
with its neighboring countries. EU also appreciated the
constructive role of China in the international arms control
and disarmament field and was ready to develop a closer
partnership with China in bilateral cooperation and
international affairs. EU made positive comments on
Europe-China human rights dialogue and was willing to
continue its cooperation with China in the human rights
field.
The European side noted that EU would
stick to the One China policy, holding that Taiwan could not
accede to any international organization composed of
sovereign states only. EU also added that it would take into
active consideration China's concern of being granted the
full market economy status.
Both sides also
exchanged opinions on Democratic People's Republic of Korea
(DPRK) nuclear issue, weapons proliferation, the Middle East
issue and anti-terrorism. Li Zhaoxing expounded China's
positions on these issues. The EU side highly evaluated the
constructive role of China over the DPRK issue, and
advocated for a peaceful settlement of the DPRK issue.
Before his meeting with the foreign ministers
of EU Troika, Li also held bilateral talks with Greek
Foreign Minister Panandreou. Both of them made positive
comments on the cooperation between China and Greece in the
fields of politics, economy and culture, and the mutual
understanding and support in the international affairs. Both
sides noted that they would strengthen exchanges and
cooperation and promote the overall development of bilateral
relations, taking the opportunity of hosting the first two
Olympics of this century respectively.
Li
appreciated Greece's support to China on the questions of
Taiwan, Tibet and human rights, as well as Greece's efforts
to make EU-China relations closer as the rotating chair of
EU. Panandreou noted that Greece would stick to the One
China policy.
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