Wen calls for strategic ties with EU

NANJING, China, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- China and the European Union said they agreed to promote trade, focus on green enterprises and support small, trade-oriented businesses.

In a joint statement, the EU and China said they would work to achieve non-discriminatory government procurement practices to further international cooperation, the Xinhua news agency reported Monday.

Inaugurating the 12th China-EU summit Monday in Nanjing in eastern Jiangsu province, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said the current global situation demands China-EU ties be more strategic, comprehensive and stable.

"The two sides should also make sure they are on the right path for sustainable development," he said.

The meeting comes at a time when China faces increasing pressure to further speed the appreciation of its yuan to check the country's burgeoning trade surpluses.

Before the start of the summit, the yuan exchange rate was one of the issues in talks between Wen and visiting Eurogroup President Jean-Claude Juncker, European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet and EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquin Almunia, China's Global Times reported.

The report said the three EU leaders expressed concerns about the impact of China's export-led robust recovery on Europe as it emerges from the global economic crisis.

At the summit, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, said China's social and economic achievements and its contribution to the world economy were impressive, Xinhua reported.

In other developments, leaders from the two sides appealed against an early withdrawal of the stimulus packages, saying that would would hamper global economic recovery, Xinhua said.

"For the Euro area, there will be no major withdrawal of stimulus measures in 2010," Juncker was quoted as saying.