The 24th Session of China-EU Trade & Economic Joint Committee was held at the EU headquarters in Brussels on May 21. Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming and European Commissioner for Trade De Gucht co-chaired the session.

In the session, the two parties candidly exchanged views and expressed their positions on a wide range of China-EU trade & economic relations and the world economy. Besides, the two parties made consensus on the significant points of boosting the negotiation on improving the 1985 EU-China Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement, launching China-EU High-tech Trade Work Group, the negotiation for a bilateral cooperation agreement on Geographical Indications and IPR Special Experts Group, establishing the experts group of feasibility on bilateral investment agreement and the following plan of bilateral development and cooperation agreement. After the conference, Chen and De Gucht jointly held a press conference.

Chen stated that China and EU were important trading partners and China-EU trade and economic cooperation had become the solid foundation of China-EU relations. In the critical period when coping with the international financial crisis, to further enhance China-EU trade and economic cooperation is beneficial for promoting not only the economic development of the two parties but also the steady recovery and sustainable prosperity of the world economy. So the two parties should constantly take efforts, make full use of the existing mechanisms, and jointly oppose the protectionism so as to realize the mutual benefit and win-win.

Chen stated that the Chinese government was closely following up the development of Europe's Debt Crisis and its possible impacts on China-EU trade and economic cooperation, supported the active and effective measures of the EU and its members, and wished that the financial market of the EU and especially relevant countries could recover as soon as possible.

De Gucht said that China was one of the key trading partners of the EU, and the EU always attached great importance to the trade and economic relations with China. The EU is willing to make joint efforts with China to continue deepening the cooperation in economy and trade and creating better trade environment, further enhance the two-way investment, and jointly cope with the global challenges including the financial crisis.

In addition, those present at the conference included Gao Hucheng, Vice Minister of Commerce of China, Abou, the EU Ambassador to China, and Wang Yajun, Wang Yajun, Chargés d'affaires ad interim of Chinese diplomatic mission to the EU and representatives from the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the Certification and Accreditation Administration of China.

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