Draft statement: EU to push China to open economy at April summit
The European Union will seek Beijing’s agreement for deadlines to open up China’s economy at an April 9 summit in Brussels, according to a draft leaders’ statement, trying to coax it into making good on promises to deepen trade ties.
China and the EU will “agree by summer 2019 on a set of priority market access barriers and requirements facing their operators,” according to a six-page joint communique drafted by the EU, which still requires Chinese approval, Reuters wrote.
The statement, seen by Reuters, said the two trading blocs would set “deadlines for their swift removal by the next Eu-china summit 2020 at the latest”.
The statement, which is likely to change, also sets 2020 as the goal for a special treaty to increase investment flows that has been under negotiation for almost a decade.
The communique reflects European frustration over China’s reluctance to allow foreign companies to set up without restrictions while taking full advantage of the EU’S openness, EU diplomats said. The South Korean Ministry of Economy and Finance said on Monday that it is accepting public proposals for next year’s budget in a move to better cope with social challenges.
The ministry set an April 15 deadline to submit budget proposals that people think the government must address to improve quality of life, Yonhap reported.
Last year, South Koreans submitted 1,206 proposals, which were later reflected in 38 projects worth 92.8 billion won ($81.6 million) for implementation in 2019.
A surge of Chinese takeovers in critical sectors in Europe and an impression in Brussels that Beijing has not kept its promise to stand up for free trade and globalization have given the April meeting new urgency.
Despite an agenda dominated by Britain’s imminent departure from the EU, leaders will use a March 21 summit to discuss China policy, a first for many years.
It is part of a flurry of high-level meetings before President Xi Jinping travels to Italy and France from this week and the bloc holds a summit with China on April 9.
The joint draft statement is set to be formally released at the summit between Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, European Commission President Jean-claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk.
Among the total budget allocated following requests by ordinary people, 50 billion won, or 54.6 percent, has been set aside for measures to reduce fine dust, followed by 14 billion won, or 11 percent, for youth-related projects, while 4.8 billion won, or 5.1 percent, has been earmarked to support underprivileged people, according to the ministry.
Fine dust has blanketed South Korea in recent weeks, prompting calls for measures to address the key environmental issue. The dust — particles smaller than 10 micrometers in diameter — can cause various respiratory diseases and undermine the body’s immune system.
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