China, EU hold dialogue to address trade tensions

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Hu Jintao during their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday. PHOTO: AP

Chinese EU leaders launched a high-level dialogue yesterday on tensions over China’s swelling trade surplus with Europe and disagreements over how to tackle climate change.

“Our meeting today marks a significant step towards the strengthening of the strategic partnership between China and Europe,” European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso told Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) during their meeting in Beijing.

The EU is stepping up pressure on Beijing for action over its trade surplus, market barriers and currency controls — areas where Washington long took the lead.

China’s surplus with the EU surged 23 percent to US$34.1 billion in the first quarter of the year, surpassing the gap with the US, government data showed.

Barroso no details but said the sides agreed to work on narrowing that gap.

“But there are major imbalances and we both agree on the necessity to rebalance our bilateral trade,” he said.

European say China keeps its currency undervalued, giving their Chinese competitors an unfair price advantage. Europe also echoes US complaints about Chinese product piracy, saying 80 percent of counterfeit goods seized at its ports originated in China.

Barroso that Chinese and EU officials had discussed cooperation on fighting climate change and other environmental issues.