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EU, China pledge firm opposition to protectionism

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-09-11 14:57

The European Union (EU) and China will firmly oppose trade and investment protectionism, said EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton Thursday in a press release.

"EU and China would proceed with confidence, handle trade problems with pragmatic actions, keep the market open, and bring the trade potential of both parties into full play," she said.

The two sides have the responsibilities to let the population know the importance of intellectual property rights (IPR) protection, and that all fruits of innovation should be respected and rewarded, she said.

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"The trip is a successful one," said Ashton. During her six-day visit, Ashton met Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, and attended the 13th China International Fair for Investment and Trade in Xiamen of southeast Fujian province.

In Ashton's speech at the University of International Business and Economics Wednesday, she called for the EU and China to "work on outstanding issues" in order to strengthen trade relations.

Currently, China and the EU are one of the most important trade partners to each other. Bilateral trade volume reached $425.6 billion in 2008.