The European Commission (EC) and China will sign a memorandum of
understanding that will provide a framework for cooperation in
regional policy, EU Commissioner Danuta Hubner told Xinhua on
Friday.
The two sides will also hold a two-day seminar in Beijing to
exchange experiences during the commissioner's visit to China next
week.
"This will be a new area added to those we (the EC and China)
already have established recently," said the commissioner.
She said the European Union (EU) side is open to deeper
cooperation. Working groups for specific issues might be
established should need pops up in the future, she said.
"We believe strongly that instead of protecting ourselves from
each other, we should do everything possible to have
cooperation."
EU-China cooperation in regional policy will be carried out
mainly by Hubner's team and China's National Development and Reform
Commission, which is tasked to draw up China's overall development
strategies.
China is eager to learn from the outside world as the government
has adopted an ambitious plan to narrow down the disparities
between its flourishing coastal regions and the vast underdeveloped
inner land.
The Chinese government has also vowed to invest heavily to
improve the living conditions in its rural areas.
Commissioner Hubner said Europe also faces the same problems of
balancing the development of regions and addressing the issue of
rural development.
Hubner said the European experience shows that any successful
regional policy must be based on a bottom-up approach. The local
community should be involved in a way that they can feel ownership
of the policy.
She also stressed the importance of a long-term approach and
partnerships -- partnerships at different levels and with different
communities, such as non-government organizations, business society
and academic society.
In terms of rural development, the commissioner said the EC's
policy is to "create jobs outside farming within rural areas" so
that people do not have to move to urban areas.
She said the EU will invest more to improve infrastructure in
rural areas to make them nice places to live.
The EU spends almost one third of its budget in helping its
least developed regions in 2006.
The "cohesion funds" traditionally went to Ireland, Greece,
Spain and Portugal. But with the accession of 10 new members from
central and eastern Europe in 2004, more funds are needed.
(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2006)
