(ANSA-AP) - SOFIA, Bulgaria - Free trade and international
cooperation must be upheld to avoid slowing down the global
economy, the Chinese premier told peers from central and eastern
Europe Saturday. Premier Li Keqiang also praised the European
Union, calling the 28-member bloc an "indispensable force" and
important for global peace, stability and prosperity. Li,
China's No. 2 leader behind President Xi Jinping, attended a
gathering in Bulgaria's capital, Sofia, with government leaders
from 16 European countries amid escalating trade battles between
the United States and China.
The U.S. imposed 25 percent duties Friday on $34 billion
worth of imports from China. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said
"retaliatory tariffs" also took effect, without offering more
details. The 16+1 meeting of the central and eastern European
nations and China is part of China's $900 billion "New Silk
Road" plan to boost its influence in Europe through investments
and closer economic links. "We need to uphold multilateralism,
we need to uphold free trade ... and work together to prevent a
slowdown of the global economic recovery," Li said. Countries
around the world were affected by the global financial crisis
that started in 2008 and which led to banking crises and the
so-called "Great Recession," especially in the U.S. and Europe,
where growth has improved over the past few years.
China's efforts to increase its economic and financial
influence in the European Union, which include the financing and
construction of new roads, rail lines and ports, have been met
with concern by Brussels. EU officials are in part worried that
subsidized Chinese companies will have a market advantage
without reciprocal deals for European firms. Li downplayed such
concerns, calling views that China is trying create rifts in
Europe by pursuing deals with eastern European countries a
"misunderstanding." "There is no fundamental conflict of
interests between China and Europe," Li said. Li said China
would sponsor a "global partnership cooperation center" to study
EU trade rules.
China and the 16 countries at the summit "need to carefully
study how our cooperation can fit in with the EU laws and
regulations," Li said. "China and Europe are geographically far
apart from each other and we have different cultures, so when
Chinese business people make investments here, they need to have
more knowledge of Europe." While U.S. President Donald Trump
frequently has criticized the EU on trade and security issues
and the two powers are in the middle of their own tariff
battles, Li was very complimentary of the EU. "The EU is a very
important force for peace and stability and prosperity. It is an
indispensable force in the world," Li said. "Unity between China
and Europe and cooperation between us can ensure peace and
stability in the whole world."
China and some of the 16 countries at the summit signed
memorandums and agreements on economic cooperation and other
issues. Li said China would like to import more agricultural
products from central and eastern Europe and was interested in
buying up to 10 million tons of tobacco leaves from Bulgaria. At
the same time, the premier said it was "very important" for
Chinese companies to set up factories in the region, noting that
Chinese products were popular with consumers. "First and
foremost, our cooperation is of win-win and mutual benefit," Li
insisted. (ANSA-AP).
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