China-EU summit opens, trade row lingering
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-09-05 13:52

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) meets with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and other EU officials in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing September 5, 2005. Britain has assumed the EU rotating presidency for the second half of this year and Blair is in Beijiing for the EU-China summit to open on Monday. [newsphoto]

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the rotating president of EU, is attending the summit. Blair said it was beneficial to both sides to grow the relationship, the AFP reported.

"Both China and the EU have a shared interest in a deeper and broader partnership on the range of global challenges that face our peoples," he said in an interview with the Xinhua news agency. "We are now building upon three decades of successful cooperation. Our partnership should be about greater understanding and trust between the EU and China."

Blair's spokesman said that on top of the usual trade-focused agenda, global political and security issues had been added in the wake of the terrorist bombings in London which left 56 people dead in July. Human rights issues would also be discussed.

Aside from the summit, Blair will hold talks with China's top leaders on Tuesday before heading to India.

Traveling with him are 40-odd top executives from such British and European companies as Airbus, BP, British American Tobacco, Deutsche Post, GlaxoSmithKline, Rolls Royce and Royal Dutch Shell.

Also in Beijing are European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

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