Diplomats: EU, China looking for new start at delayed summit

May 18, 2009, 14:55 GMT

Brussels - The European Union and China are to seek a new start to their relations at a summit on Wednesday, five months after China cancelled the meeting to protest the visit of exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama to Europe, EU diplomats said Monday.

But they remain far apart on key issues including human rights and climate change, EU sources told the German Press Agency dpa.

The summit in Prague 'should demonstrate that EU-China relations are back at full strength' after the spat caused when French President Nicolas Sarkozy, then holder of the EU's rotating presidency, met the Dalai Lama in November, diplomatic sources said.

It should also 'prove our commitment to jointly address global challenges,' most notably the economic crisis and climate change.

But the two sides have not yet bridged their differences over what exactly the summit should achieve.

China 'considers that the main purpose of the summit is to re-establish mutual trust, and not to settle differences that should be discussed in other dialogue meetings,' whereas the EU wants a more 'ambitious' agenda, diplomats said.

In particular, the two sides have yet to agree a common position on issues including Taiwan, Myanmar, North Korea, freedom of speech, minority rights, and climate change.

The two sides had been set to meet in the French city of Lyon on December 1, but China pulled out at the last moment to protest at Sarkozy's meeting with the Dalai Lama.

However, the near-collapse of the global financial system and the following economic slump brought China back to the negotiating table. Chinese premier Wen Jiabao on January 30 visited Brussels and agreed to hold the summit before the summer.

The re-scheduled talks 'will be held in a different context' from the autumn, with both the EU and China keen to put aside their differences in order to tackle the crisis, diplomatic sources said.