Still two "bottlenecks" for Sino-European relations
At the time when the 30 anniversary of the establishment of the Sino-European relations is approaching nearer the reporter had an interview with Li Gang, director for the European Study of the Research Institution of the Ministry of Commerce. Now there are still two bottleneck problems in the Sino-European relations, holds Li Gang. One is for the EU to lift the ban of the military sales to China and another is for it to recognize China a complete status of market economy.
The ban-lifting of the military sales to China by the EU, said Li Gang, is in connection with the problem of whether the EU is going to give an equal status treatment to China. If embargo is still practiced in certain sectors towards China it is hard for China to accept it. Since the two sides have already agreed to establish an all-round strategic partnership the military sales should be included in it. If the EU is going to maintain its military embargo on China, it is an untimely practice and it doesn't cater to the target for which China and the EU is going to set up an all-round strategic partnership as reached between the two sides for the present moment.
In view of the complete status of market economy the EU is going to give to China, Li Gang said, though the EU has ruled out the conviction for anti-dumping in some individual cases the numbers are still in the minimum. For the EU to recognize China the complete status of market economy is what the Chinese side is concerned about, for this is where the interest of China does lie. However, the two sides still have some differences on the judgment of a complete status of market economy. The so-called criteria as brought out by the EU are still unable to make China feel completely satisfied. From a personal point of view, though the technical aspect of the problem is important yet what is more important is the problem of the political will. It is hoped that the EU will express its sincerity in political aspect. This will eventually help an effective solution to the problems in technical aspect.
Li Gang also pointed out some problems that China and the EU must pay attention to. The investment to China by the EU medium and small enterprises needs to be further enhanced and in the meanwhile the investment by Chinese enterprises to the related aspects of the EU countries, especially for those enterprises having their own intellectual property rights, and the products and items having their relative superiorities should strengthen their cooperation with the EU in the time to come. In regard of China's bigger trade surplus as against the EU China should take an objective view about it. In view of the trade balance for healthy development, a long time and large-scale favorable trade balance over a definite trading area cannot remain a trend for a long time to come. Therefore, effective measures should be taken to balance the bilateral trade, including the promotion of the dual capital flows and so on.
