The European Union Ambassador to China Serge Abou on Monday hailed the Sino-EU memorandum on textile trade, saying the EU will possibly not use special restrict measures against Chinese textile products.

Chinese and EU senior trade officials signed a memorandum last Saturday early morning to avoid worsening a trade friction sparked by EU's restriction on T-shirt and flax or ramie yarn and possible restriction on another eight kinds of Chinese textile and clothing.

The agreement is "inspired by partnership" and "well-balanced," Abou said, noting it will benefits the EU textile industry and the EU's neighbor countries that also have great employment in the industry.

He said that besides trade and economic cooperation, the EU carried out broad exchange and cooperation with China in other fields, such as science and technology, aviation and agriculture.

The proper settlement is expected to facilitate such cooperation. The ambassador told a press conference in Beijing that several Chinese and EU officials will meet in Beijing or Brussels this year and will discuss environmental protection, aviation, finance and currency affairs, agriculture and the new round of World Trade Organization talks.

The EU is China's largest trade partner after it expanded to 25 member countries last year, according to Chinese figures.

(Xinhua News Agency June 14, 2005)