The European Union and China have agreed to intensify their political dialogue and have acknowledged each other's growing importance in terms of trade. But at a summit in Brussels yesterday, the two sides failed to conceal differences over China's human rights record.
The Chinese Premier, Mr Zhu Rongji, flew from Dublin to Brussels yesterday at the head of a 135-member delegation for the fourth annual EU-China summit.
At a press conference after the summit's first session yesterday evening, Mr Zhu showed he had been rattled by questions about human rights during his Irish visit.
He said an Irish reporter had suggested that although China was willing to accept international standards on trade by joining the World Trade Organisation (WTO) the country was reluctant to abide by international standards on human rights.
Mr Zhu said the question displayed ignorance of the reality of Chinese life and he claimed that the President, Mrs McAleese, had told him that the reporter had never been to China and had just returned to Ireland after a long absence in the United States.
"I am not saying the human rights situation in China is perfect. In a huge country such as China, human rights abuses take place every day," Mr Zhu said.
Belgium's Prime Minister, Mr Guy Verhofstadt, said the EU had expressed concern about China's treatment of religious minorities, the fate of fugitives from North Korea and the Beijing government's crackdown on corruption.
"We support campaigns against crime and corruption but human rights standards must be respected," Mr Verhofstadt said.
The two sides will discuss human rights again next month and they have agreed to discuss the issue of illegal immigrants to the EU from China.
Mr Zhu said the EU and China were now one another's third-biggest trading partners.
The EU will press for China's full membership of the WTO before the end of this year. The biggest remaining obstacle to Chinese membership of the WTO is a dispute between the US and the EU over how to interpret a paragraph about life insurance in the 1000-page proposed agreement between China and the 142 WTO members.
Deaglan de Breadun writes: The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and his partner, Ms Celia Larkin, bade farewell to Mr Zhu at Dublin Airport yesterday morning.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, the Minister for Arts and Heritage, Ms de Valera, and the Minister of State for Trade, Mr Tom Kitt, were present and there was a 50strong guard of honour.
The Premier flew to Dublin from Kerry airport in Farranfore, having stayed overnight in a Killarney hotel.
