Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will pay an official visit to Greece, Belgium, Italy and Turkey from October 2 to 9. Wen will also attend the 8th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and the 13th China-European Union (EU) summit from October 4 to 6. Wen will attend events celebrating the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Italy.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao assured Turkish businessmen Saturday that China was committed to developing closer trade and investment ties with Turkey, promising to increase bilateral trade to $50 billion in five years.
Premier Wen Jiabao joined his Italian counterpart, Silvio Berlusconi, in Rome on Thursday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties.
The thought of visiting Germany had not even crossed my mind until a Foreign Ministry official asked me in a Brussels hotel if I would like to accompany Premier Wen Jiabao's delegation to a small town near Berlin for a specially arranged meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
China faces an "unpredictable schedule" as to when the European Union (EU) will grant it market economy status, mainly because businesses and some politicians hold different views, said a senior business chamber leader.