Interview: EU, China share vision of multilateral world: EP's Schulz

The European Union (EU) and China share a vision of a multilateral world and face common global challenges, so it is logical that the two sides should work together on many international issues as well as on climate change, European Parliament President Martin Schulz said in a recent interview.

In a written interview, Schulz said China had a very important role to play on the international stage, and showed signs of good leadership in its immediate region.

"China was a key player in defusing the political and military escalation in the Korean peninsula. It will be important now for China to commit constructively in the territorial disputes in the South and East China Seas," he said.

Addressing EU-China relations, Schulz believed China's Belt and Road initiatives could bring China and the EU closer. He hoped it enhanced ties between the partners both in economic but especially in cultural terms, as expressed in the "EU-China 2020 Strategic Agenda for Cooperation."

"Last year, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of EU-China relations and witnessed unprecedented increase of high-level contacts between both sides," he said.

He said establishing an EU-China "connectivity platform" would be a useful tool to explore possible synergies between respective transport policies and devise joint initiatives across the EU.

"There is also a great potential of developing cooperation in the field of digital agenda, especially as the EU is on its way to create a digital single market," he said.

The president praised China's support for the EU, saying: "I would also like to acknowledge the role China had played in the EU's sovereign debt crisis and China's decision to contribute to President (Jean-Claude) Juncker's investment plan is also very much welcome."

Security and defense are a key cooperation issues with China. Schulz confirmed good cooperation with China on counter-terrorism at the multilateral level, as well as in the context of bilateral political dialogues such as on Afghanistan and Pakistan or the Middle East.

"We look forward to deepening these exchanges and to exploring future cooperation on these issues, especially with international threats such as the Islamic State (IS). However, it is important that our exchanges on counter-terrorism include a human rights and rule of law dimension," he said.

Schulz said the bilateral investment treaty (BIT) was at the top of the EU's priorities in its economic relations with China.

"This negotiation sets a positive tone and sheds optimism that can be of good use for the overall bilateral trade relations between the EU and China," he said.

Schulz said that the Parliament expressed its support to the negotiations at an early stage in October 2013. He expected to have an ambitious deal, which aims to create a better environment for EU investors in China and vice versa, and he envisaged the agreement should include improved access to the market.

"On the EU side, we are placing the emphasis on the facilitation of market access, transparency, non-discrimination and a level playing field for EU investors in China," he added.

"I hope that both sides can keep up the good progress of the negotiations on the BIT, because this agreement will not only facilitate investments but also open the door to further agreements on trade in goods and services," said Schulz. Endit