EU-China Summit in Helsinki on 9 September

Government Communications Unit

Press Release  290/2006
31 August 2006

Finland, the current holder of the EU Presidency, will organise the EU-China Summit in Helsinki on 9 September. The EU will be represented by the Prime Minister of Finland, Matti Vanhanen; President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso; High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana; Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Erkki Tuomioja; Finnish Minister for Trade and Development, Paula Lehtomäki; and Member of the European Commission, Benita Ferrero-Waldner. The Chinese delegation will be headed by Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. The Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, Minister of the National Development and Reform Commission Ma Kai and Trade Minister Bo Xilai will also attend the summit.

The summit agenda focuses on trade policy, environmental issues including cooperation in issues relating to climate change, and key international and regional issues. Discussions will also cover human rights, the market economy status of China and energy security.

Cooperation between the EU and China is active. The Union is engaged in systematic dialogue with China on human rights, trade and sectoral issues. The EU and Chinese Heads of State or Government hold an annual summit where they agree on joint policy guidelines.

The Chinese and Finnish Prime Ministers will also attend the EU-China Business Summit that will take place on Tuesday, 12 September.

Further information: Sanna Kangasharju, Deputy Head of Information, Government Communications Unit, tel. +358 9 1602 2175; and on media arrangements Marja Salonen, Press Attache, Secretariat for Finland’s EU Presidency, tel. +358 9 1602 2611.