China, EU summit begins in Prague

PRAGUE - The 11th summit meeting between China and the European Union (EU) began Wednesday in the Czech capital.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived here Wednesday to participate in the conference.

‘We expect the meeting will further enhance mutual trust, deepen reciprocal cooperation and boost the China-EU ties,’ Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu told reporters in Beijing.

Wen will hold talks with the European leaders, including Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency.

The talks are expected to focus on disputes linked to China’s huge trade surplus with the EU and on coordinating international action to counter the global economic crisis, reports said. Senior central bankers and finance officials on both sides were to discuss global finances.

The summit was originally scheduled for December but was postponed due to China’s protest over a meeting between the Dalai Lama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Poland last year.

‘We expect to work along with the EU, take this opportunity and jointly push forward the development of the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership,’ Ma said.

The first China-EU summit was held in London in 1998.