On June 30, 2003, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing met with the foreign ministers of the Troika of the European Union (EU) in Athens. Mr. George Papandreou, the rotating president of EU Greek Foreign Minister, Javier Solana, High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and President of the European Commission, and the representative of Italian Foreign Minister attended the meeting.

Li Zhaoxing said that currently the comprehensive partnership between China and EU on the basis of equality, reciprocity and mutual respect was becoming more and more mature with both sides viewing and developing Sino-European relations from strategic perspective. He recalled the consensus reached by President Hu Jintao and Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis in their St. Petersburg meeting, which was of vital significance to the enhancement of Sino-European relations. He noted that China appreciated the European side’s constructive attitude on questions relating to Taiwan and its understanding and support to China in the campaign against the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Li pointed out that EU would continue to occupy an important position in China’s external relations and to push forward Sino-European relations continuously was in the interests of both sides and the whole world at large. To this end, he made the following suggestions. First, make the sixth China-Europe leadership meeting a success. Second, maintain the momentum of political dialogue between China and Europe at various levels. Third, deepen bilateral trade and economic relations, and expand cooperation in the fields of agriculture, environmental protection, energy, information and infrastructure building in the middle and west of China. Fourth, carefully deal with and appropriately handle problems and disagreements in bilateral relations. He said that EU should recognize the status of China as a full market economy at an early date and lift the ban on the export of animal-derived products from China.

The European side noted that seeing strengthened dialogues and cooperation, frequent contacts and continuously deepening mutual understanding between Europe and China, EU felt satisfied with the Europe-China relations and agreed to China’s suggestions on developing bilateral relations. EU appreciated the active role China had played in maintaining international and regional peace and stability as well as good political and economic ties with its neighboring countries. EU also appreciated the constructive role of China in the international arms control and disarmament field and was ready to develop a closer partnership with China in bilateral cooperation and international affairs. EU made positive comments on Europe-China human rights dialogue and was willing to continue its cooperation with China in the human rights field.    

The European side noted that EU would stick to the One China policy, holding that Taiwan could not accede to any international organization composed of  sovereign states only. EU also added that it would take into active consideration China’s concern of being granted the full market economy status.

Both sides also exchanged opinions on Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) nuclear issue, weapons proliferation, the Middle East issue and anti-terrorism. Li Zhaoxing expounded China’s positions on these issues. The EU side highly evaluated the constructive role of China over the DPRK issue, and advocated for a peaceful settlement of the DPRK issue.
 
Before his meeting with the foreign ministers of EU Troika, Li also held bilateral talks with Greek Foreign Minister Panandreou. Both of them made positive comments on the cooperation between China and Greece in the fields of politics, economy and culture, and the mutual understanding and support in the international affairs. Both sides noted that they would strengthen exchanges and cooperation and promote the overall development of bilateral relations, taking the opportunity of hosting the first two Olympics of this century respectively.

Li appreciated Greece’s support to China on the questions of Taiwan, Tibet and human rights, as well as Greece’s efforts to make EU-China relations closer as the rotating chair of EU. Panandreou noted that Greece would stick to the One China policy.