Press Release: EC and China sign nine cooperation agreements and foster dialogue on global solutions to economic and financial crisis and climate change

Chinese Prime Minister WEN Jiabao visited the European Commission on 30 January, 2009, at the invitation of the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Mr Yang Jiechi, Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Zhang Ping, Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, Mr Chen Deming, Minister of Commerce, and Mr Xie Fuzhan, Director of the Research Office of the State Council. The Chinese delegation met with President Barroso and Commissioners Ferrero-Waldner, Dimas, Almunia, Potočnik and Ashton. They discussed overall EU-China relations, the international financial crisis and climate change. Nine agreements were signed on this occasion to strengthen EU-China cooperation in several fields. President Barroso underlined the importance that the Commission, as well as the European Union, attach to strengthening our already broad ties with China and invite China to engage with the EU in addressing two of the global challenges of 2009: overcoming the economic and financial crisis and reaching a comprehensive agreement on climate change in Copenhagen. Premier Wen and President Barroso agreed that the XI EU-China Summit should be convened as soon as possible under Czech Presidency of the EU. This was confirmed later by Czech Prime Minister Topolanek at the official lunch. This would open the way to another Summit to be held in China still in 2009.