EU-China summit

The European Union and China will be looking for a new start to their relations at Wednesday's summit, five months after it was cancelled by China to protest the French president's meeting with the Dalai Lama.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is attending the summit to show Beijing's desire to work with the EU, a Chinese government official said.

"All in all, we would like to work with the EU and seize this opportunity to jointly promote our strategic partnership," foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu told reporters. "Premier Wen Jiabao's participation in this meeting itself shows China's sincerity."

But whereas China "considers that the main purpose of the summit is to re-establish mutual trust and not to settle differences that should be discussed in other meetings," the EU is pushing for a more "ambitious" agenda, diplomatic sources told German news agency DPA.

In addition to jointly addressing the global economic crisis, there are several other issues on which the two sides have yet to find a common position.

Burma

EU ministers have been unanimous in their condemnation of what has been termed a "show trial" of Burma's pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who was accused of breaking her house arrest just two weeks before she was to be released. Several ministers have recommended appealing to regional powers, such as China and India, for help. Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said the European Union must talk in particular to the Chinese "so that they put pressure" on the Burmese government.

China has close diplomatic and economic ties with Burma's junta, but has always refused to criticize it. According to EU diplomats, China insists that the junta is already cooperating with the opposition, and therefore wants the summit to do no more than call for "continued" talks.

Tibet

Since the cancelled December EU-China summit, Beijing has stepped up pressure on individual EU governments to block future meetings with exiled Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama. China accuses him of having a separatist agenda for Tibet, which he denies.

But the different approaches taken by EU member states toward the Dalai Lama have highlighted the fact that Brussels lacks a cohesive position on Tibet - something many experts say needs to be resolved. "To equivocate on Tibet as a result of Chinese interference would be a strategic misstep in EU-China relations," said Vincent Metten, EU policy director for the International Campaign for Tibet in Brussels. "The EU should intensify its support for a resolution and assist both sides, after 50 years of failed efforts, to remove obstacles and move forward."

Following last year's violent crackdown by China on pro-independence Tibetans, the EU now wants China to commit to "freedom of speech and the rights of ethnic minorities" - wording China refuses to accept.

Beijing sees Tibet as part of China and therefore subject to Chinese rule, but many Tibetans disagree. They say the region was an independent kingdom for many centuries before China imposed its rule in 1951.

For its part, the EU has adopted a "One China" policy, meaning that Beijing is its only diplomatic partner. In keeping with this policy, the EU officially regards Tibet as part of Chinese territory. But the Dalai Lama is a frequent visitor to Europe, and after last year's unrest, he was even offered an open invitation by the president of the European Parliament, who said that "the Dalai Lama is welcome in this house whenever he wants to come."

Taiwan

Despite the "One China" policy, the EU has shown flexibility in relations with Taiwan, which has essentially been self-governing for 50 years despite Beijing's assertion that it is part of Chinese territory.

The EU doesn't recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state, but does support its participation in international organizations where statehood is not a requirement. For example, the EU recently welcomed the World Health Organization's decision to invite Taiwan to take part as an observer in this year's WHO general assembly. The EU has also signed a free trade agreement known as a Trade Enhancement Measure (TEM) with Taiwan.

This may be too much for Beijing, which is now pushing for the EU to restate its unconditional opposition to Taiwan's independence.

EU diplomats say that the bloc is ready to restate its support for the One China policy, but that it will also call for "constructive dialogue" across the Taiwan Strait and a "peaceful resolution" of the dispute, terms China has so far rejected.

North Korea

The EU wants the summit to condemn North Korea's April 5 missile test and urge a renewal of six-nation disarmament talks. Outgoing Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, whose country holds the EU presidency, said on Sunday that North Korea's nuclear plans were "extremely dangerous." "The pressure for a renewal of the six-nation talks must continue," he added in a statement carried by the DPA news agency.

But as North Korea is a close Chinese ally, China only wants the summit declaration to mention "concern over the current situation on the Korean Peninsula," without singling out North Korea.

Climate Change

While both sides agree that climate change is a threat, they remain at odds over what action to take. China wants the EU to urge all developed states to cut their greenhouse-gas emissions to 25-40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, and to provide unconditional "financial support and technology transfer to developing countries" to help control their emissions.

The EU agrees that developed countries should lead the way, but wants China to agree to "step up its efforts" to tackle climate change and increase energy efficiency before it asks for EU help.

China is the world's biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, outstripping the United States, although its per capita emissions are much lower than those of developed countries.

Author: Deanne Corbett
Editor: Michael Knigge