EU: China must do more on trade issues
13 June 2007
China should open its market more quickly and solve trade frictions, the European Union said after Beijing agreed to start talks on a World Trade Organization government procurement agreement, AFP reported. European Commissioner for the Internal Market and Services Charlie McCreevy, in Beijing on an official visit, said European countries were under pressure caused by the China's rising trade surplus with Europe. "It is wholly fair to everybody that if there is access to the European markets for Chinese goods, products and services, then the same should apply over a period of time to European goods, products and services," he said. McCreevy also said China would start talks on accession to the Government Trade Agreement by year's end, a step towards opening its market. Parties under the agreement, which is under the WTO framework, must allow international competition in their government procurement business.