SPAIN: Chinese Prime Minister calls for closer economic links with the EU in the face of the global economic crisis

Record ID: 784786

  • Title: SPAIN: Chinese Prime Minister calls for closer economic links with the EU in the face of the global economic crisis
  • Date: 31st January 2009
  • Summary: ZAPATERO AND WEN STANDING ON PLATFORM LISTENING TO NATIONAL ANTHEMS VARIOUS OF ZAPATERO AND WEN INSPECTING THE TROOPS SPANISH DELEGATION
  • Embargoed: 15th February 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Spain
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: International Relations,Economic News
  • Reuters ID: LVAD0NZWTZZMA6P81WRVPJGDQH33
  • Story Text: Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao declared that further business links with the European Union were needed during a visit to Spain on Friday (January 30).
    The Chinese premier was on a trip to Madrid to meet with the Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and Spanish businessmen when he made the comments, while Zapatero indicated that further cooperation would be a priority when Spain takes over the EU presidency in 2010.
    "In the period of the Spanish Presidency of the European Union, this great area of commercial relations will be the best objective we can have in our shared work that today we have intensified," he said.
    Zapatero went on to state there would be increasing links with China as Spain seeks to boost business and reduce the effects of the global economic crisis.
    For his part, the Chinese premiere declared that China was also seeking closer links with the EU and Spain while he called for increasing economic ties saying that investment would bring hope to both countries.
    "At a time when the international financial crisis is having ever increases impact, businessmen from both our countries have been able to sign many different deals. They have allowed us to see that this cooperation give us a great hope for the development of both economies," he said.
    Wen Jiabao had been welcomed to the Spanish Presidential residence by a guard of honour before he and the Spanish leader Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero left for talks.
    This was followed by a meeting between the two countries' delegations Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Chinese Culture Minister Cai Wu, Minster for Trade Chen Deming and the President of the Chinese National commission for Development and Reform Zhang Ping where they signing a number of trade agreements.
    The agreements, according to the Spanish Government, are designed to improve business relations between the two countries and will involve the telecommunication, energy, finance sectors, the aviation industry as well as more general business areas.
    Deals were signed between the Spanish Confederation of Business Organisations (CEOE), Spain's BBVA bank, the communication company Telefonica, the Spanish National Television and Radio provider RTVE , and the Airbus consortium EADS which will create a high-tech composite production centre for the A-350 programme.
    Agreements were also signed between INDRA, Topfly, Tecnicas Reunidas, ENSA and SNGC.
    Closer cultural links were also high on the agenda with the Chinese Prime Minister set to visit the Spanish Cervantes Institute on Saturday before flying to London on what will be the last stop of his European visit.

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