Full text of China-EU summit joint statement

BRUSSELS -- The following is the full text of a joint statement that China and the European Union (EU) issued Tuesday during a visit by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

China-EU Summit Joint statement

Brussels, 9 April 2019

Introduction

1. H.E. Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, H.E. Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, and H.E. Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, met in Brussels today for the 21st China-EU Summit and issued the following statement.

2. China and the EU reaffirm the strength of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, their resolve to work together for peace, prosperity and sustainable development and their commitment to multilateralism, and respect for international law and for fundamental norms governing international relations, with the United Nations (UN) at its core.

The two sides commit to uphold the UN Charter and international law, and all three pillars of the UN system, namely peace and security, development and human rights.

The EU reaffirmed its one-China policy.

Bilateral relations

3. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to deepening their partnership for peace, growth, reform and civilisation based on the principles of mutual respect, trust, equality and mutual benefit, by comprehensively implementing the China-EU 2020 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation. China and the EU commit to strengthen cooperation, notably in the framework of their ongoing bilateral Dialogues. Both sides welcome the recently held High-Level Strategic Dialogue. In order to further expand and deepen exchanges and cooperation beyond 2020, China and the EU will adopt a new cooperation agenda by the next China-EU Summit.

4. China and the EU commit to build their economic relationship on openness, non-discrimination, and fair competition, ensuring a level playing field, transparency, and based on mutual benefits. The two sides commit to achieve in the course of 2019 the decisive progress required, notably with regard to the liberalisation commitments, for the conclusion of an ambitious China-EU Comprehensive Investment Agreement in 2020. The high level of ambition will be reflected in substantially improved market access, the elimination of discriminatory requirements and practices affecting foreign investors, the establishment of a balanced investment protection framework and the inclusion of provisions on investment and sustainable development. Both sides agree to establish a political mechanism to continuously monitor the progress in the negotiations and to report to leaders by the end of the year on the progress made.

5. China and the EU commit to ensure equitable and mutually beneficial cooperation in bilateral trade and investment. They reiterate their willingness to enhance bilateral economic cooperation, trade and investment and to provide each other with broader and more facilitated, non-discriminatory market access. With this in mind, China and the EU will intensify work towards finding mutually agreeable solutions to a number of key barriers as identified by both parties, with a stocktaking taking place at the next China-EU Summit. Against this background, the two sides will meet as soon as possible and work expeditiously towards concrete progress through existing channels. The two sides reaffirmed the importance of adhering to international scientific standards.

Both sides agree to promote their bilateral trade in agri-food products whilst respecting international standards on sanitary and phytosanitary matters in particular the zoning principle. The two sides agreed to explore applying the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) zoning principle to trade, based on OIE analysis. Both sides are committed to expanding mutual market access for food and agricultural products in a transparent and predictable manner. Both sides will seek guidance of international standard setting bodies on the question of official certification for low risk food products.