Chinese and EU leaders meet at a time of disagreement over solar panels, but human rights not on the agenda and no major decisions expected.

EU-China dumping row continues

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/16076967/n001-120920-001-en_mf.srt

It’s been billed as  a routine EU-China summit

despite an ongoing row  over alleged dumping.

But it's the last before premier Wen Jiabao  steps down and a power struggle ensues,

so it may be more important  in Beijing than in Brussels.

Currently the Chinese leadership also want  to see what the reaction from the outside is,

so I think this would be a good moment for  European leaders to send a message

so that China's next generation of leaders  can do something good for their people.

EU-China trade was worth 424 billion euros  in 2011, having doubled in eight years,

even if the US is now  China’s main export market.

which Europe accuses China of dumping  at below cost on European markets.

There's much misunderstanding, but on  environmental matters the two are closer.

We should re-orientate our efforts towards  building consensus with China on these,

because China feels the limits of the planet  on climate, on resources etcetera.

Maybe we can build common positions and  use them as leverage on the global scene.

China is wary of criticism:  there was no press conference

and human rights were not on the agenda,

which is why protestors  made more visible protests.

Here, Tibetans demanded freedom  and an end to persecution.

The human rights issue is more important  than trade because of human values.

There is no freedom, no human rights  freedom, no freedom of religion,

But with China holding some 2.5 trillion  euros in foreign currency reserves,

In any case, confrontation  with Beijing gets nowhere.

If we want to influence the Chinese, we  can’t do it through megaphone diplomacy.

Saving face is a big part of their make-up.

Two such enormous economic blocs have  to trade, and Europe needs investment.

But EU-China relations seem to be, like the  Brussels’ EU quarter, a work in progress.