Saturday 6 December 2008

Deals Worth Billions Threatened by China-Europe Disputes

While China and the US are making progress in their Strategic Economic Dialogue, billions of Euros worth of deals between China and Europe and France may be threatened due to disputes that have arisen between the two trading partners.

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Guanyu said...

Deals Worth Billions Threatened by China-Europe Disputes

6 December 2008

While China and the US are making progress in their Strategic Economic Dialogue, billions of Euros worth of deals between China and Europe and France may be threatened due to disputes that have arisen between the two trading partners.

The Chinese government, angry over French President Sarkozy’s meeting with the Dalai Lama, has postponed the 11th EU-China Summit in Lyon, France. It is reported that the EU has decided to levy a tariff, seen by China as retaliatory, on Chinese goods. China responded on December 4. Liu Jianchao, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said China wants France to create conditions for the overall development of the China-France tie and avoid harming the long-term development of the bilateral relationship and the interest of peoples in the two countries. Overseas analysts saw this as a warning to France that the Tibet issue could harm the close trade relationship between the two countries.

China has suspended negotiations with Airbus. Other big orders that may be affected include those from Areva, Citroen, Carrefour, and Alstom.

Talk of “boycotting France” infests China’s Internet lately. The attack on the Olympic torch relay in Paris last April triggered a boycott against French retail giant Carrefour, French consumer goods, and French tourism. L’Oreal, the biggest cosmetic group in the world, is facing a trade mark law suit from a small cosmetic and health product company in Guangzhou over the brand name “Miyan,” which it used for the name of a Lancome product series.

A statement by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said it hoped “this will not trigger hostility and trade protectionism, and promote economic nationalism.”

Liu said to restore the China-France relationship, promote the development of China-EU relations, and create sound atmosphere and conditions for the China-EU Leaders’ Meeting, the French party needs to be aware of and attach great importance to China’s positions and concerns, and take right actions.

He maintained that the China-France economic and trade relationship is built on the basis of mutual benefit, and hoped that the French party could create conditions for the overall development of the bilateral relation. “Don’t affect the long-term development of China-France tie and harm the interest of Chinese and French people,” said Liu Jianchao.

Radio France International reported on December 4 that China was raising a warning voice against France and for the first time it was definitely threatening to launch economic sanctions. AFP said that “China is warning that big orders worth tens of billions of dollars may be affected”. It is reported that although China appealed repeatedly to Sarkozy to cancel his meeting with the Dalai Lama, the French President refused to change his decision.

The foreign press also noted Liu’s latest comment on the reaction of the Chinese people. “The French leader’s plan to meet with the Dalai Lama has triggered strong discontent among Chinese people. We hope France values the righteous appeal of the Chinese people, and we also hope the Chinese people treat the current China-France relation rationally.”