Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-07-10-Speech-2-464"
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"en.20070710.60.2-464"2
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"Mr President, bearing in mind your probable desire for this House to rise before midnight, I would just like to say that overwhelmingly the contributions to this debate have been very balanced and very realistic. I think that Mr Calabuig Rull and Mr Carnero González, for example, made appropriate observations in stressing the fact that China is an opportunity for Europe, as well as a threat. Another appropriate observation was that of Mr Fjellner that we need to take the longer-term political view in our relations with China, but he also referred to the growth of protectionism, of a sort of Chinese nationalism which is becoming more prominent in China’s trade practices. My view is that China’s nationalism does not sit comfortably with the enormous benefits that it is deriving from the internationalist trading system that is based on reciprocity. Without reciprocity China will not be able to expect in the future the continued goodwill and balanced approach that it has been receiving from Europe.
The fact is that China is falling below our expectations. It is not that it is failing to comply with or implement all its WTO obligations and commitments, because in many respects it is. But in certain other key areas of economic activity in China, in financial and other services, it is failing to implement fully the commitments that it made upon its accession to the WTO.
One or two concerns have been expressed about textiles. This House will recall that in 2005 I negotiated a voluntary agreement with China that gave European industry an extra period of two-and-a-half years to restructure and to adapt to the new global situation in the textile sector. It was a once-and-for-all, bilaterally concluded agreement and the Commission therefore has no means simply to seek an extension of the agreed levels that have been operating beyond the beginning of 2008. However, I will be putting in place means to monitor and to keep under surveillance any sudden and large-scale changes in imports of Chinese textiles that threaten to disrupt our market in Europe, and I will consider what, if any, action I can take in the light of disturbances to our market.
This is quite distinct from the use of trade defence instruments. The textiles agreement was based on fair trade. It was not unfair trade. It was just a disturbance that we were unable to take on on such a scale at this time. In other respects, the use of TDI is not against China’s natural competitive advantage but against unfair competition, and we will retain the right and the full use of our trade defence instruments and employ them as and when necessary.
In conclusion, others have referred to the need for China to consciously build up the standards it operates in relation to social, labour and environmental standards. That will always be a feature of the discussions that I undertake with Chinese officials.
I am personally very committed to growing technology transfer with China on climate change projects. This is a key way to ensure Chinese interest in tackling climate change. It is a win-win situation. The EU can export energy-efficient, clean technology and China can make a contribution to tackling its environmental problems. This is at the heart of our dialogue with China on climate change and it is something in the trade realm that I intend to build up in the future.
That concludes my remarks in response to this debate, which I greatly welcome. As I say, it has been very balanced, and I will certainly ensure that I and my services take into account fully the remarks and observations that have been made by Members of this House this evening."@en1
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