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Strengthening the EU-China partnership
SUMMARY OF:
EU-China: closer partners, growing responsibilities — COM(2006) 631 final
SUMMARY
WHAT DOES THIS COMMUNICATION DO?
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It lays down guidelines for an EU policy that aims to strengthen cooperation between the EU and China.
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These focus on:
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KEY POINTS
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Supporting political transition: the EU and China hold regular political dialogue on human rights, protection of minorities and the strengthening of the rule of law.
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Promoting energy efficiency and environmental protection: As two of the main players in the global energy market, the EU and China cooperate to:
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An example of cooperation in this field is the 2012 EU-China Joint Declaration on Energy Security.
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Balancing economic and social development: the EU and China cooperate to define and implement balanced monetary and fiscal policies aimed at tackling problems such as poor work standards, health and ageing populations.
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Improving trade and economic relations: since the EU is China’s largest trading partner and China is the EU’s second-largest, both partners seek to:
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Strengthening sectoral cooperation: the EU and China seek to strengthen bilateral cooperation in:
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Encouraging security and international cooperation: dialogue between the EU and China on peace and security in regions in the world (particularly in east Asia). The EU also supports dialogue between China and other countries in the region in order to promote its stability. Cooperation between the partners also concerns transparency of military expenditure, nuclear non-proliferation and the progressive lifting of the European arms embargo.
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EU and Chinese delegations meet annually at the EU-China summit, which alternates between Brussels and Beijing. At the 2013 summit, the EU-China 2020 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation was agreed on. This is now the guiding document of the relationship.
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BACKGROUND
Diplomatic ties between the EU and China were first established in 1975, with the first legal format being established under the 1985 trade and cooperation agreement. Since then, the relationship has grown to embrace foreign affairs, security matters and other challenges such as climate change and global economic governance.
ACT
Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament – EU-China: Closer partners, growing responsibilities (COM(2006) 631 final of 24.10.2006)
last update 20.10.2015