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EU urges China to open its markets and tackle piracy

EU trade chief Peter Mandelson urged China to open its markets to EU goods and quell piracy and counterfeiting.

"In Europe we need to keep our markets open to fair trade from China, but that also means China opening its markets more to European exports, and of course to enforce intellectual property rights," Mandelson said on Friday after talks with Chinese Trade Minister Bo Xilai (薄熙來).

Meeting Bo ahead of crucial meetings designed to rescue global trade talks, Mandelson also said he would present a plan to European governments for a new trade accord between the EU and China next year.

An updated trade framework with China is "crucial" for Europe amid booming trade between the two, Mandelson said, adding that it would facilitate ties in the expanding car and telecommunications sectors.

Trade relations between the EU and China threatened to sour earlier this year during a fight over the volumes of textiles China exports to Europe. Tensions currently simmer over cheap Chinese shoes suspected of being sold into the EU at unfairly low prices. Europe's car industry has also complained that Beijing is restricting European activity in China.

The EU is also conducting antidumping investigations into imports of footwear with leather uppers from China.

Mandelson said next week's talks in London and Geneva will be crucial to rescue chances for the proposed global trade agreement that will be discussed at the meeting of WTO members in Hong Kong.

"Next week will determine whether we can get into position of making Hong Kong a success or not. We're living on borrowed time in the run-up to Hong Kong," he said.
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