Danuta Huebner, EU's Commissioner for Regional Policy, said in Brussels on Monday that the partnership between China and the European Union (EU) "is strong and growing."
"Now we are ready to launch a comprehensive research activity on regional policy within the framework of our dialogue," she said while addressing a EU-China seminar on regional policy.
"Already today many European regions directly cooperate with their Chinese counterparts. This is the best basis for our partnership which enhances the pool of experience and knowledge available to our regions and cities," Huebner noted.
The commissioner also listed some key common challenges "which may underpin this cooperation."
"Both China and the EU are confronted with large social, economic and territorial disparities," she said.
"Sustainable development, energy efficiency and climate change figure most prominently," Huebner stressed, adding that the urban- rural divide and the lack of development perspectives for large rural areas was also a challenge facing the two parties.
A Chinese delegation, headed by Vice Minister from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) Du Ying, attended the seminar, the second of it kind.
The first EU-China regional seminar was held in May 2006 in China.
In his speech, Du Ying briefed participants of the seminar on China's regional development and policies of the Chinese government.
He said that as the most populated developing country in the world, China's basic conditions are disparities in regional development.
In "the 11th national economic and social development for a five-year plan" the Chinese government made a comprehensive strategy on coordinated regional development, he noted.
The government shifted its focus from the concerns over regional disparities to promotion of coordinated regional development, from concerns over economic differences to social fairness and equalization of basic public services, and from concerns over fast economic growth to the coordinated development of economy, resources and environment.
As a result, he said that "regional coordinated development in China has shown good momentum in recent years."
Prominent problems blocking regional development "have been partly solved," Du said, adding vitality of regional economic development was boosted, inter-regional cooperation deepened, some achievements in equalizing basic public services made, and environment protection and ecological construction promoted.
The EU and China held the seminar as part of the EU event of Open Days, which will last from Monday through Thursday.
After the EU-China seminar, the Open Days seminars will also associate Brazil and Russia on Tuesday.
Source: Xinhua
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