Crescenzio Rivellini (EPP, Italy) believes the EU should take a harder line with China when opening up its markets to the country and obtain sufficient guarantees in return.

Interview: Europe must be tougher with China

You've been Chair of  the EU-China Delegation for three years.

It's a privileged position, lots of trips  and meetings with the Chinese.

As chance would have it,  this week the two big superpowers,

the US and China,  have elected presidents,

one of them, Obama,  in a democratic election,

while the other was appointed  by the Communist Party congress.

who takes over in March,  have you met him?

I haven't met him yet.  You're right, two big events.

This congress will change  not only China's future

but the whole world's  because of the changes...

Over and above the revelations  in the newspapers about the princelings,

the descendants of officials who are  rising in the ranks of the Politburo,

there are also changes  within the Communist Party,

which has realised  that the consumer bug has hit China.

I look at the citizens of Beijing  and see that they've changed a lot recently.

I even saw demonstrations outside  the Ministry of Health that we had visited.

in terms of transparency,  freedom of information...

What kind of reforms are expected?  -Social reforms.

For example? Workers' rights?  -Not even that.

A programme  will almost certainly be approved

to give many Chinese people  in the big cities free healthcare.

For the first time there's  a welfare programme for senior citizens,

There's a programme for disabled people.

This issue is being addressed  for the first time.

So there's a real focus  on social questions.

At the same time  we're witnessing a new trade war

For now it's sectorial, since it concerns  renewable energy and solar panels,

but Europe attacked China  a few weeks ago and China has replied.

With the World Trade Organisation  pressing charges, if I can put it like that,

denouncing Europe  on the subject of renewable energy,

do you think we should keep  holding talks with China in this way?

I read that the Chinese  only listen to you when there's a war.

The Chinese play with the Europeans.  The reason's very simple.

At the negotiating table  there's one Chinese Prime Minister,

one Chinese Finance Minister and  one President of the People's Republic.

On the other side are 27 heads of state,  27 finance ministers

and 27 employment ministers,  all with completely different ideas.

Merkel goes over there  a week before Barroso

and seals business deals  that help Germany, then Monti goes,

and so when Barroso goes  he doesn't have any negotiating power.

So you mean that these summits  that we hold twice a year are pointless

because there are still bilateral  summits with individual states?

They're not pointless  because they lead to negotiation.

The first thing I saw  when I landed in Beijing was a Ferrari.

The second thing was shops  with high-fashion French clothing

So they can't be living in a bell jar.  -They need Europe.

So how can Europe make China listen?  -It must be tougher.

We let China  join the World Trade Organisation

The Chinese are now asking  for two things.

In return they're offering  to open some negotiations.

Let's call it blackmail,  because that's what it is.

And they're offering  their great economic capacity.

Only the Bank of China has reserves  of 50,000 billion dollars.

This is just the Bank of China's  reserves in dollars.

We've got a lot of weapons  for dealing with them.

More firmly and decisively.  -Much more firmly and decisively.

We're just talking about negotiations  between Europe and China,

but Chinese imperialism  has practically conquered Africa.

All Africa's rare earth metals, produce,  raw materials and the African people

In that case  China's conquering Europe too,

not only in terms of markets  and trade goods

because the Chinese have already  gone into Greece and Portugal.

Is this dangerous?  -We must hope investors buy the euro.

The situation is very difficult.  -And help us.

The big international banks  are having trouble buying our debts.

But as I said in my summit meeting  with my Chinese counterpart,

today Europe,  because of its history and civilisation,

its geographical position  and political weight,

guarantees that the debt will be repaid  and pays high interest,

so it's all to the advantage  of Chinese investors.