China, EU issue joint statement

China and the EU have issued a joint statement following their 12th summit in Nanjing on Monday morning. The statement highlights some priority areas for the two sides' closer cooperation on economy and trade, climate change, and bilateral ties. We now take a brief look at some key points.

On economic issues, China and the EU agree that, in order to deal with the global financial crisis and maintain the current recovery, the two sides should further expand trade and investment, as well as increase market access for each other.

Both sides reaffirm their commitment to high-level trade talks, saying the discussions are beneficial for the balanced development of the China-EU trade.

The two sides agree that it's important to further expand their economies through various approaches. They will make efforts to facilitate trade and investment for small and medium sized enterprises ... and seek the possibility of cooperation in technology trade and many other fields.

Both sides agree that they will continue stimulating domestic consumption on the basis of equal treatment and transparency for overseas enterprises.

The two sides also stress that they are determined to wrap up negotiations for the Doha Round of world trade talks in 2010 and reach a comprehensive and balanced agreement.

On climate change, China and the EU agree to strengthen practical cooperation in the field to cope with this pressing global challenge.