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1 (July 9, 2015)

handle is hein.crs/crsuntaaijt0001 and id is 1 raw text is: SCongressanal Research Service Inf ormig ch leihtIvedebate sice1 !94 The European Union and China On June 29, 2015 the European Union (EU) and the People's Republic of China held their 17th annual leader's summit in Brussels. The summit also commemorated the 40th anniversary of the establishment of formal relations between what is now the EU and China. The first EU-China Summit took place in 1998, in London. Since then, these summits have been held on an annual basis, alternating between China and Brussels, with the exception of 2008, when China postponed the summit (two summits were held in 2009). The 2015 summit was the latest example of the EU's long-term interest in, and maintenance of, its political and economic relations with China. Background The predecessor to the EU, the European Economic Community (EEC), and China established diplomatic relations on May 6, 1975. The 40-year-old EU-China relationship initially evolved from a framework of economic cooperation when an EEC-China agreement on trade and economic cooperation was adopted in 1985. Since 2003, the two sides have described themselves as engaged in a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which has continued to evolve and diversify. A High Level Economic and Trade Dialogue established in 2009 further consolidated economic cooperation. The economic relationship was complemented in 2010 by an enhanced political dialogue on both bilateral and global issues: the High Level Strategic Dialogue. Beginning in 2012, dialogues and cooperation mechanisms were established covering issues such as foreign policy, security and defense, high-tech innovation, tourism, energy, and the environment. At the 16th EU-China Summit held in November 2013, the EU and China launched the EU-China Strategic 2020 Agenda for Cooperation (http://eeas.europa.eu/china/docs/ 20131123_agenda 2020 en.pdf), which established the framework intended to guide EU-China relations until 2020. Today, according to the EU, the EU and China have over 70 high-level and senior-level dialogues, working groups, and steering committees reflecting the wide-ranging scope of the relationship. The EU and China have apparently also agreed to further develop exchanges on legal affairs and digital connectivity, which could lead to the establishment of new dialogue mechanisms. Political Dimension The 2015 EU-China summit was attended by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and other Ministers. The EU was represented by Donald Tusk, President of the European Council; Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission; and Federica Mogherini, High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, as well as other key European Commissioners. EU - China EU: 28 ieber states Population: EU: 505 million; China: 1.3 billion European Union GDP (2014): approx. E14.0 trillion China GDP (2013); approx. $10 trillion China is now the EU's 2116 trading partner behind the United States, and the EU is Chinas biggest trading partner. * EU goods exports to China 20 14: E 165 billion; EU goods imports from China 2014 302.5 billion. EU seices exports to Chinal? 20 13: 1,3212 biIon;. EU se rvic es imports From Ch ina1 20 13: E20 billion. * Neither the EU nor China are major investors in each other, though China's investment in Europe is growing rapidly. EU foreign direct investment (EDI) in China was approximately 6. billion in 2014, while Chip's in n ina thie EU amounedto E9.8 bilion in 2014. Source: European Commission, Eurostat. Exchange: fI =$I1.1 According to its leadership, the commitment of the EU to the strengthening of its political dialogue with China reflects Europe's recognition that China, as a growing economic and political power and an increasingly active member of the international community, can exert a significant influence on a wide array of issues of global concern. In a world increasingly bound together by the forces of globalization, cooperation with China, bilaterally or within multilateral structures, has been defined as crucial to achieve progress in any number of important areas of mutual interest. These points were highlighted in the EU- China joint summit declaration. The EU's main approach is to engage China both bilaterally and on the world stage, through an upgraded political dialogue; to promote China's transition to an open society based upon the rule of law and respect for human rights; to encourage the integration of China in the world economy and support the process of economic and social reform; and to raise the EU's profile in China. The main goal of the 2015 EU-China summit was to take stock of the progress achieved thus far in implementing the Strategic 2020 Agenda through the three pillars of the EU- China relationship: the High Level Strategic Dialogue, the High Level Economic and Trade Dialogue, and the biannual People-to-People Dialogue established in 2012. www.crs.gov 1 7-570 S July 9, 2015

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