China to send new purchase teams to Europe

Source: China Daily | 05-08-2009 10:46

BEIJING, May 8 -- China promised Thursday to send its companies on new multibillion dollar spending sprees in Europe as it called on the bloc, its largest export market, to resist new trade barriers.

Vice-Premier Wang Qishan told EU officials that the Chinese government will send several business delegations to Europe to repeat a February shopping trip where they spent 13.6 billion U.S. dollars on contracts in Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and Switzerland.

"We will send similar purchasing delegations to Europe and oppose trade protectionism with concrete action," he said at the start of two-day EU-China economic talks.

"We hope the EU will likewise take into full account China's concerns and ... take concrete steps to eliminate trade and investment obstacles," he said. "In order to jointly tackle the current crisis ... both sides should oppose protectionism in all its forms."

The EU's trade commissioner, Catherine Ashton, told the meeting that Europe was committed to free trade and the fight against protectionism, saying she hoped China would join the EU in pushing for a new world trade deal this autumn that could help lift their economies.

She also called on China to open up and tackle problems that European businesses say hold them back in their fastest growing export market. Companies are keen to see China do more to clamp down on copyright goods that they claim cost them a fifth of potential revenue.